6 


TUFTS   UNIVERSITY   LIBRARIES 


3   9090  013  411    430 


Webster  Family  Library  of  Veterinary  Medicine 
Cummings  Scliool  of  Veterinary  Medicine  at 
Tufts  University 
200  Westboro  Road 


M/M4h  n^fif^rin  l^^  n-icno 


HUNTING  DOGS 


Hunting  Dogs 


Describes    in    a    Practical    Man< 

ner  the    Training,   Handling, 

Treatment,    Breeds,    ELtc, 

Best  Adapted  for  Night 

Hunting  as  Well  as 

Gun  Dogs  for 

Daylight 

Sport 


BY 

OLIVER   HARTLEY 


Published  by 

A.  R.  HARDING  PUBLISHING  CO, 

Columbus,  Ohio 


??,'=^ 


7^  rt 


Copyright  1909 
By  A.  R.  Harding  Pub.  Co. 


CONTENTS. 


Part  I  —  Hunting   Dogs. 

Chapter.  Page. 

I.     Night   Hunting    17 

11.     The  Night  Hunting  Dog  — His  Ancestry 33 

ni.     Training  the  Hunting  Dog 39 

IV.     Training   the    Coon   Dog 49 

V.     Training  for  Skunk,  Opossum  and  Mink 59 

VI.     Wolf  and   Coyote  Hunting 65 

Vil.     Training  for   Squirrels   and   Rabbits 74 

VIII.     Training  the   Deer   Hound 80 

IX.     Training  —  Specific  Things  to  Teach 89 

X.     Training  —  Random     Suggestions     from     Many 

Sources 100 

Part  II— Breeding  and  Care  of  Dogs. 

XL     Selecting   the   Dog 107 

XII.     Care    and    Breeding 116 

XIII.  Breeding    (Continued)    125 

XIV.  Breeding    (Continued)     133 

XV.     Peculiarities  of  Dogs  and  Practical  Hints 141 

XVI.     Ailments   of  the   Dog 146 

Part  III  — Dog  Lore. 

XVII.     Still  Trailers  vs.  Tonguers  — Music 157 

XVIII.     The  Dog  on  the  Trap  Line 168 

XIX.     Sledge  Dogs  of  the  North 178 

7 


8  CONTENTS. 

Part  IV— The  Hunting  Dog  Family. 

Chapter.  Page. 

XX.     American   Fox    Hounds 193 

XXI.     The  Beagle,  Dachshund  and  Basset  Hounds...  203 

XXH.     Pointers    and    Setters.     Spaniels 210 

XXHI.     Terriers  —  Airedales 216 

XXIV.     Scotch  Collies.     House  and  Watch  Dog? 221 

XXV.     A   Farmer   Hunter  — His   Views 228 

XXVI.     Table  of  Technical  Terms 242 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page, 

The  Fruits  of  Night  Hunting 16 

The  Court  Jester  of  the  Nocturnal  Tribe 18 

A  Pure  and  a  Cross-bred  Coon  Dog 20 

Veteran    Coon   Detectives 28 

Descendants  from  Jamestown  Imported  Hounds 32 

A  Lover  of  Good  Dogs 38 

"The  Fox  Hound  is  a  Composite  Animal" 41 

Fox  Hounds  —  Graduates  From  the  Training  School...  43 

Typical  Coon  Hounds 48 

Capable   Cross-bred   Cooners 55 

Good  Catch  in  Which  the  Shepherd  Dog  Figured  Promi- 
nently      58 

Opossums   are    Easily   Caught   Alive    for   Training   Pur- 
poses      61 

North  Dakota  Wolf  Hounds 64 

Typical  Western  Wolf  Hounds 67 

Termination  of  a  Successful  Chase 71 

Good  Dogs  Make  Good  Luck 73 

The  Fair   Sex  are  More  and  More  Becoming  Practical 

Nimrods    . .  .  • 79 

The  Deer  Seeks  Refuge  in  Deep  Water 81 

Well  Trained  Hounds 85 

Good    Friends    Get   Along   Best 90 

Co-operation    Between   the    Man    and   His    Dogs    Brings 

Results    , .,.,,,,,,..  99 

9 


10  LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 

Some    Ideals 106 

Embryo    Trailers    .  . 115 

A  Versatile  Ontario,  Canada,  Dog  Family 124 

One-half  English  Bloodhound  Pups 129 

Fox  Hounds 131 

Some    Young    Hunters    132 

He  Was   Here   a   Moment   Ago 1G4 

Here  He  Is   16G 

A  Group  of  Typical  Sledge  Dogs 177 

Sledge  Dog— Photo  from  Life 184 

Rough   and  Ready   Sledge  Dog    187 

Worthy  of  the  Name,  Foxhounds 192 

Good    Specimens    19G 

Bloodhound    199 

"As  Pretty  As  a  Picture"   (Beagles) 202 

True  Dachshund  Specimens   .  .  .^ 205 

A  Pure  Pointer 209 

Royal    Sports — Pointers    in    Action 211 

Setter     213 

The  Fox  Terrier — Useful  in  Many  Ways 217 

Airedale 218 

Collie    222 

Shepherd   Puppies    226 

Outline  Figure  Diagram  242 


Oliver   Hartley. 


INTRODUCTION, 


*j  MS   if  hunting    for    profit,   night 
mjm   hunting  for  either  pleasure  or 
W   I    gain  and  professional  hunting 
generally    had    no    importance, 
writers  of  books  have  contented  them- 
selves with  dwelling  on  the  study  and 
presentation  of  matters  relating  solely 
to   the  men  Avho  hunt  for  sport  only. 
Even    then   the   Fox    Chase   and   Bird 
Hunting  has  been  the  burden  of  the 
greater  percent  of  such  books. 

It  remained  for  tlie  A.  K.  Harding 
Publishing  Co.  (publishers  of  the  Hunt- 
er-Trader-Trappcr  magazine  and  a  num- 
ber of  helpful  and  practical  books  on 
hunting  topics),  to  appreciate  the  de- 
mand for  books  and  reading  matter 
adapted  especially  to  the  tens  of  thou- 
sands of  hunters  who  make,  or  partial- 
ly make,  their  livelihood  from  hunting 
and  trapping,  as  well  as  a  million  casual 
13 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

hunters  and  farmers  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada. 

The  keynote  of  success  was  struck  in 
this  direction  by  obtaining  articles  and 
letters  from  these  very  men  themselves, 
written  and  printed  in  their  own  lan- 
guage, depending  for  favor  on  their  ex- 
plicitness  and  practical  value,  borne  of 
actual  experience,  rather  than  floAving 
language,  high  sounding  conventionali- 
ties and  impressive  technicalities  so 
dear  to  the  hearts  of  the  Bench  Show 
enthusiasts. 

The  title  of  this  book  quotes  its  ob- 
ject. To  tell  something  of  night  hunt- 
ing, and  especialh'  to  suggest  how  the 
ever  necessary  dog  can  best  be  selected, 
trained,  maintained  and  utilized,  is  the 
consideration  of  first  importance.  To 
round  out  the  subject  all  forms  of 
hunting  Avill  receive  some  notice,  and 
the  various  breeds  of  dogs  will  be  so 
far  dealt  with,  that  their  value  and  use- 
fulness in  their  given  fields  may  be  de- 
termined.    Best  of  all,  the  contents  of 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

this  volume  are  based  on  the  opinions 
and  declarations  of  men  ^Yho  have  had 
years  of  experience  in  the  matters  on 
which  they  presume  to  write.  The 
Compiler  does  not  assume  authorship, 
the  matter  herein  being  very  largely 
from  articles  which  have  appeared  in 
Hunter-Trader-Trapper  and  elsewhere. 
Credit  is  hereby  extended  and  our 
thanks  offered  to  all  writers  whose  ef- 
forts contribute  to  the  sum  total  of  this 
volume. 

If  this  book  contributes  to  the  suc- 
cess in  handling  of  dogs  or  opens  new 
avenues  of  recreation,  sport  and  profit 
for  any  of  its  readers,  we  shall  consider 
its  mission  has  been  fulfilled. 

Oliver  Hartley. 


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HUNTING  DOGS 


CHAPTER  I. 

NIGHT   HUXTING 

nIGHT  liimting  is  a  favorite  form  of  himt- 
ing-  sport  the  continent  over.  Prime 
factor  of  the  joyous,  though  strenuous 
night  quest  is  the  'coon,  the  court  jester 
and  wit  of  the  nocturnal  tribe  of  small  fur 
bearers. 

Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  other  game  and 
general  distribution  of  raccoon  the  country  over, 
'coon  hunting  is  gaining  in  popular  favor,  win- 
ning over  many  of  the  wealtl^y,  city-dwelling  red- 
bloods  who  formerly  were  content  with  more  or 
less  pleasant  and  successful  sallies  to  the  fields 
in  the  day-time. 

Consequently  there  is  an  increased  demand 
for  properly  bred  and  trained  dogs  to  afford  the 
maximum  of  success  and  pleasure  in  this  pur- 
suit. With  the  ownership  of  dogs  go  the  care, 
maintenance  and  proper  methods  of  handling 
these  willing  helpers.  Surprising  is  the  meager- 
ness  of  the  information  available  to  the  average 

2  17 


18 


HUNTING   DOGS. 


hunter,  though  night  hunting  is  an  institution  as 
old  as  the  settlement  of  Jamestown. 

The  craft  of  developing  dogs  and  using  them 
to  the  best  advantage  in  this  connection,  has  been 
by  precept  and  example  handed  down  from 
generation  to  generation.  Much  has  been  lost 
in  this  wav  and  not  so  much  accomplished  as 
might  have  been  attained  by  aid  of  the  printed 
and  pictured  methods  of  today.  Most  certainly 
more  attention  will  hereafter  be  paid  to  night 
hunting,  and  more  painstaking  records  made  and 


The   Court  Jester   of  the   Nocturnal   Tribe. 


NIGHT    HUNTING.  19 

kept  for  the  up-growing  practical  sportsmen,  in 
which  direction  the  present  volume  is  a  Ion"; 
and  definite  step. 

Our  task  is  to  offer  guidance  and  advice  as 
to  the  dogs.  Yet  to  do  this  clearly,  the  reader 
must  know  something  of  the  nature  and  habits 
of  the  animals  to  be  hunted  and  the  effort  in- 
volved. 

A  southern  gentleman  of  experience  and 
training  has  the  following  to  say  about  -coon 
hunting : 

The  'coon  is  a  wily  little  animal,  and  his 
liabits  are  very  interesting  to  note.  He  is  a 
veritable  trickster,  compared  with  which  the 
proverbial  cunning  fox  must  take  a  back  seat. 
One  of  the  'coon's  most  common  tricks  employed 
to  fool  the  hound  is  known  among  hunters  as 
''tapping  the  tree,"  and  Avhich  he  accomplishes 
in  this  way :  When  he  hears  the  hound's  first 
note  baying  on  trail,  he  climbs  up  a  large  tree, 
runs  to  the  furthest  extremity  of  one  of  the 
largest  branches  and  doubling  himself  up  into  a 
ball,  leaps  as  far  as  possible  out  from  the  tree. 
This  he  repeats  several  times  on  different  trees, 
then  makes  a  long  run,  only  to  go  thru  the  same 
performances  in  another  place.  Onward  comes 
the  hound,  till  he  reaches  the  first  tree  the  'coon 
went  up,  and  if  it  is  a  young  and  inexperienced 
liound,  he  will  give  the  ''tree  bark"  until  the 


A  Pure  and  A  Cross  Bred  Coon  Dog. 


NIGHT   HUNTING.  21 

hunters  reach  the  tree,  fell  it,  and  find  the  gai:ie 
not  there. 

All  this  time  Mr.  'Coon  is  quietly  fishing  and 
laughing  in  his  sleeve,  perhaps  a  mile  away. 
But  not  so  with  the  wise  old  'coon  hound.  The 
old,  experienced  'cooner,  with  seemingly  human 
intelligence,  no  sooner  reaches  the  tree  Mr. 
'Coon  has  ^'tapped"  than  he  begins  circling 
around  the  tree,  never  opening  his  mouth  — 
circling  wider  and  wider  until  he  strikes  the 
trail  again.  This  he  repeats  every  time  the 
'coon  takes  a  tree,  until  finally,  when  he  has  to 
take  a  tree  to  keep  from  being  caught  on  the 
ground,  the  hound  circles  as  before  and,  finding 
no  trail  leading  away,  he  goes  back  to  the  tree, 
and  with  a  triumphant  cry  proclaims  the  fact 
that  he  is  victorious.  He  is  not  the  least  bit 
doubtful.  He  knows  the  coon  went  up  the  tree 
and  he  knows  he  has  never  come  down  so  he 
reasons  (?)  that  the  coon  is  there,  and  with 
every  breath  he  calls  his  master  to  come  and  bag 
his  game.  When  the  tree  is  felled  the  fun  be- 
gins. The  'coon  is  game  to  death.  He  dies 
fighting  —  and  such  a  magnificent  fight  it  is ! 
The  uninformed  might  suppose  there  would  not 
be  much  of  a  fight  between  a  50-pound  'coon 
hound  and  a  20-pound  'coon.  Well,  there  is  not, 
if  the  'coon  hound  is  experienced  and  knows  his 
business.     Of  course,  the  'coon  will  put  up  a 


22  HL^NTING  LOGb'. 

master!}^  figlit,  and  some  time  is  required  to 
put  him  out  of  business;  but  the  old  'coon  dog- 
will  finally  kill  anj  -coon.  But  if  the  fight  is 
between  a  young  or  inexperienced  dog  and  a 
full  grown  'coon  the  chances  are  that  3^ou  Avill 
suffer  the  mortification  of  seeing  your  dog  tuck 
his  tail  between  his  legs  and  make  for  home  at 
a  very  rapid  and  unbecoming  rate  of  speed. 

To  prove  this,  get  a  good  'coon  hound  and 
let  him  tree  a  'coon ;  have  along  your  Bull-dogs, 
Bull  Terriers,  Pointers,  Setters,  Collies,  or  any 
other  breed  you  believe  can  kill  a  'coon ;  tie  your 
'coon  hound,  cut  the  tree,  and  let  your  fighters 
on  to  the  'coon,  one  at  a  time  or  in  a  bunch,  and 
see  them  clay  him.  You  will  see  the  old  'coon 
slap  the  faces  off  your  dogs,  and  the  shortest 
route  home  will  be  all  too  long  for  them. 

Killing  a  'coon  appears  to  be  an  art  with  a 
dog,  and,  of  course,  much  more  easih^  acquired 
by  a  natural  born  'coon  hound  than  by  a  dog 
of  any  other  breed.  A  j^ear-old  hound  of  good 
breeding  and  from  good  'coon  hound  parents, 
can  kill  a  'coon  with  less  ado  about  it  than  half 
a  dozen  of  any  other  breed.  It  is  in  swimming 
that  the  'coon  is  most  difficult  to  handle.  I  have 
known  several  hounds  to  be  drowned  by  'coons 
in  deep  water.  The  dog  goes  for  the  'coon,  and 
the  'coon  gets  on  top  of  the  dog's  head.  Down 
they  both  go,  and,  of  course,  the  dog  and  'coon 


NIGHT   HUNTING.  23 

both  let  go  their  hold  on  each  other.  Again  the 
dog  grabs  the  'coon,  and  under  the  water  they 
both  go.  This  is  repeatt^d,  until  the  dog  becomes 
exhausted,  his  lungs  fill  with  water,  and  old  Mr. 
'Coon  seems  to  understand  the  situation  exactly 
and  seats  himself  firmly  on  top  of  the  dog's  head, 
holding  him  under  the  water,  till  outside  as- 
sistance is  all  that  will  save  him  from  a  watery 
grave. 

As  there  is  but  little  chance  — •  practically 
none  —  to  kill  a  'coon  Avhile  he  is  swimming, 
the  wise  old  'cooner,  on  to  his  job,  will  seize  the 
'coon,  strike  a  bee  line  to  the  bank,  and  kill  him 
on  terra  firma. 

I  once  saw  a  big  old  boar  'coon  completely 
outdo  and  nearly  drown  a  half  dozen  young 
hounds  in  Hatchie  Kiver,  when  an  old  crippled 
hound,  with  not  a  tooth  in  his  head,  arrived  on 
the  scene,  plunged  into  the  river  and  brought 
Mr.  'Coon  to  the  bank,  where  the  3'Oung  hounds 
soon  killed  him. 

Another  of  tlie  tricks  Mr.  'Coon  uses  to  ad- 
vantage when  closely  followed  by  the  hounds,  is 
to  follow  the  meanderings  of  a  stream  until  he 
conies  to  a  log  reaching  across  to  the  other 
bank ;  then  he  runs  to  the  middle  of  the  log  and 
leaps  as  far  as  he  can  out  into  the  water,  usually 
swimming  down  stream,  as  if  he  is  not  making 
for  a  den  or  a  tree  in  some  other  direction.    This 


24  HUNTING  DOGS. 

ruse  invariably  delays  even  the  best  of  'coon 
hounds,  as,  being  at  about  full  speed,  they  will 
run  on  across  the  log,  and  if  the  dogs  know  their 
job  they  will  circle  out  until  they  again  find  the 
trail;  but  during  this  momentary  bother,  the 
■coon  is  not  waiting  to  see  what  they  are  going 
to  do  about  it.  He  keeps  moving  and  I  want 
to  sa}^  that  a  'coon  is  a  much  swifter  traveler 
than  mam^  persons  suppose.  He  delays  no  time, 
but  keeps  everlastingly  at  it,  and  it  takes  a 
speedy  hound  to  force  him  up  a  tree. 

The  'coon  may  be  defined  as  being  a  dwarf 
bear.  They  have  many  points  in  common.  The 
'coon  can  lie  up  in  his  den  for  weeks  at  a  time 
during  severely  cold  weather,  without  food  or 
water.  The  only  difference  between  the  foot 
prints  of  the  coon  and  those  of  the  bear  is  the 
size.  In  shape  and  appearance  they  are  exactly 
alike.  The  flesh,  when  cooked,  tastes  similar, 
and  not  one  in  a  thousand  could  tell  any  dif- 
ference between  cooked  'coon  and  cooked  bear, 
if  served  in  same  size  pieces. 

By  nature  the  'coon  is  a  very  selfish  in- 
dividual. He  deserts  Mrs.  'Coon  when  his  chil- 
dren are  a  day  old  and  lets  her  provide  for  them 
as  best  she  can.  The  young  'coons  grow  rapidly, 
and  at  tlie  tender  age  of  from  six  to  eight  weeks 
old  they  begin  to  accompany  their  faithful 
mother  in  search  of  food.    Fishes,  birds,  rabbits, 


NIGHT   HUNTING.  25 

nuts,  acorns,  berries  and  green  corn  are  tlie 
principal  dishes  on  the  'coon  family's  bill  of 
fare. 

At  first  the  little  'coons  stay  close  to  their 
mother's  heels,  but  thej^  grow  more  venturesome 
as  they  grow  older,  and  soon  begin  to  make  little 
journeys  on  their  own  account.  This  often 
proves  their  undoing  when  dogs  are  about.  Any 
sort  of  an  old  dog  can  tree  or  catch  on  the  ground 
a  baby  'coon,  but  this  is  an  advantage  no  true 
sportsman  will  knowingly  take. 

That  a  mother  'coon  Avill  even  brave  death 
herself  to  save  her  babies  is  evident  to  one  who 
has  studied  the  habits  of  the  'coon.  When  closely 
pursued  by  the  hounds  and  she  and  her  young 
are  all  compelled  to  go  up  the  same  tree,  as  soon 
as  the  hounds  begin  to  bark  fiercely  and  the 
hunters  arrive  and  begin  to  choj)  on  the  tree  or 
to  try  to  shine  their  eyes,  old  mother  'coon  picks 
an  opening  and  jumps  out  of  the  tree  and  is 
usually  caught,  or  run  up  another  tree  close  by 
and  then  caught.  But  she  has  again  saved  her 
young,  as  in  all  likelihood  the  hunters  will  not 
go  back  to  the  tree  where  the  little  coons  are 
serenely  sitting  on  the  leafy  boughs,  or  never 
think  of  there  being  any  more  coons  there. 

There  are  many  reasons  why  the  'coon  hunt 
is  fast  becoming  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the 
manly  sports.     The  'coon  is  found  in  manv  sec- 


26  HUNTING   DOGS. 

tions  of  the  United  States.  Other  game  is  be- 
coming very  scarce.  The  w  ealthy  business  man, 
the  man  of  affairs  who  is  tied  to  his  desk  six 
days  out  of  the  week,  can  own  a  'coon  hound 
and  in  the  stilly  hours  of  the  night,  after  the 
day's  turmoil  of  business,  can  enjoy  a  few  hours 
of  the  most  strenuous  s^Dort  now  left  to  us  and 
Avitness  a  battle  roj^al  between  his  faithful  hound 
and  the  monarch  of  the  forest,  the  wily  'coon. 
Nothing  that  I  can  contemplate  i.j  more  ex- 
hilarating or  more  soothing  to  the  nerves  than 
the  excitement  of  the  'coon  hunt.  From  the  first 
long  drawn  note  when  the  trail  is  struck  until 
the  hound's  victorious  cry  at  the  tree,  it  is  one 
round  of  excitement  and  anticipation.  What  or 
whose  hound  is  leading?  What  direction  will 
Mr.  'Coon  take?  AVhat  dog  will  be  first  to  tree? 
And  then  the  fight!  It  is  simply  great!  And 
then  showing  the  hide  to  the  boys  who  didn't  go, 
and  telling  them  about  it  for  days  to  come. 

The  'coon  hunt  calls  for  man^^ood.  Tender 
weaklings  cannot  endure  the  exertions  necessary 
to  enjoy  this  sport.  It  is  too  strenuous  for  the 
lazy  man  or  the  effeminate  man  to  enjoy.  They 
shudder  at  the  thoughts  of  donning  a  pair  of 
lieavy  hip  boots  and  tramping  thru  swamps  and 
slashes,  crossing  creeks  and  barbed  wire  fences, 
thru  briars  and  thickets,  maybe  for  several 
miles,   and  the  probability  of  getting  lost  and 


NIGHT    HUNTING.  27 

having  to  stay  all  night.  But  to  the  man  with 
nerve  and  backbone  this  is  one  of  the  enjoyable 
features.  It  affords  great  fun  to  get  a  tender- 
foot to  go  out  for  the  first  time  and  initiate  him 
into  the  ^''eoon  hunters'  club."  The  tender- 
foot will  use  every  cuss  word  ever  invented  and 
will  coin  new  ones  when  the  supply  of  old  ones 
becomes  worn  out  and  ineffective.  He  will  cuss 
the  briars,  cuss  the  ditches,  cuss  the  creek,  cuss 
the  fences,  cuss  the  swamj^s,  cuss  the  slashes, 
cuss  the  man  who  persuaded  him  to  go,  and 
finally  cuss  himself  for  going.  But  when  the 
excitement  of  the  chase  is  on  and  when  the  fight 
commences  he  becomes  reconciled;  and  if  good 
luck  is  had  he  is  very  likel}^  to  be  the  next  man 
to  propose  another  '''coon  hunt." 

A  half  dozen  hunts  will  make  an  enthusias- 
tic 'coon  hunter  of  any  able  bodied  man  —  and  I 
might  suggest  that  a  half  a  thousand  'coon  hunts 
will  make  an  able  bodied  man  out  of  any  man 
It  Avill  throw  off  the  waste  matter  and  dead 
tissues  of  the  body,  cause  deep  breathing,  arouse 
torpid  and  sluggish  livers,  promote  digestion, 
and  is  a  general  panacea  for  all  human  ailments 
of  both  mind  and  body." 

(The  foregoing  contains  much  of  value  but 
is  overdrawn  even  tho  from  the  pen  of  a 
"Southern  Gentleman"  who  should  be  well 
yersed  in  'coon  hunting.     Now  and  then  a  'coon 


28 


HUNTING   DOGS. 


NIGHT    HUNTING.  29 

will  go  up  a  tree  and  come  down  or  even  run 
out  on  a  limb  and  jump  off  or  may  leap  from  a 
los  across  a  stream  into  the  water.  Such  in- 
stances,  however,  are  rarely  done  to  fool  the 
dog.  Generally  Avhen  such  happens,  the  'coon 
has  been  feeding,  going  up  and  down  trees,  etc. 
When  a  -coon  does  go  up  a  tree,  jump  to  another 
and  similar  tricks  to  fool  a  dog,  that  animal  has 
been  trailed  before  and  is  apt  to  be  an  ''old 
timer.") 

Added  to  this  is  the  promise  of  other  game, 
if  the  hunter  is  desirous  of  combining  sport  and 
profit.  The  skunk  and  opossum  are  common  to 
many  sections  of  this  country.  They  are  less 
resourceful  and  gritty  than  the  'coon,  and  their 
taking  is  simply  a  matter  of  choice  and  method, 
rather  than  concern  for  opportunities.  A  dog 
trained  to  hunt  'coon  will  have  no  trouble  at- 
tending to  opossum  and  skunk,  if  his  owner  de- 
sires it.  Very  frequently  the  trainer  does  not 
desire  that  his  dog  pay  attention  to  anything 
save  'coon. 

Still  another  profitable  animal  taken  by 
night  hunters  is  the  mink.  There  is  not  so  much 
sport  in  this  branch,  however,  as  the  dogs  simply 
trail  or  locate  them  in  their  dens,  and  are 
captured  by  digging  or  frightening  them  out, 
when  they  are  dispatched  by  the  dogs. 

A  good  mink  dog  will  often  locate  a  mink  in 


30  HUNTING   DOGS. 

the  den  during  the  day.  If  the  den  has  more 
than  one  entrance,  is  not  very  deep  in  the 
ground,  the  animal  will  often  run  out  by  stamp- 
ing or  striking  a  few  licks  with  a  mattock.  The 
mink  generally  comes  out  at  the  entrance  neat '^st 
the  water  (quite  often  under  water)  when  it 
can  be  shot,  if  you  are  quick  enough,  or  if  the 
dog  is  an  active  one,  caught. 

When  hunting  at  night  along  streams,  or 
places  frequented  by  both  mink  and  'coon,  it  is 
sometimes  difficult  to  tell,  at  first,  which  your 
dog  is  after.  These  two  animals  travel  about 
the  same  along  streams.  Some  dogs  will  not 
run  mink  unless  especially  trained  while  others 
take  naturally  to  mink  hunting.  Unless  a  dog 
is  not  afraid  of  water,  he  will  never  make  a  good 
mink  dog  (or  'coon  dog  either  for  that  matter), 
as  mink  go  into  a  great  many  dens  both  on  the 
bank  and  in  the  water. 

Where  the  hunting  is  done  in  woods,  con- 
siderable distance  from  streams  or  ponds  and 
mink  seldom  travel,  your  dog  may  "pass  them 
by"  but  if  you  should  catch  one  in  a  trap  and  let 
him  kill  it,  the  chances  are  that  you  will  have  a 
mink  dog. 

Again  l)y  hunting  certain  stretches  of  creek 
where  mink  frequent,  your  dog  will  soon  learn 
that  you  wish  him  to  hunt  these  animals.  A 
mink  holed  is  far  from  caught,  especially  after 


NIGHT   HUNTING.  31 

night.  If  holed  in  the  creek  bank,  the  chances 
are  that  the  animal  will  dart  ont  into  the  waier 
and  escape  to  another  den. 

The  most  snccessful  mink  hunting  is  done 
during  the  day  by  having  your  dog  along  and 
following  the  banks  of  creeks,  lakes,  ponds,  etc. 
The  dog  locates  the  game  and  the  animal  is 
gotten  out  by  methods  already  described. 


CHAPTEE  II. 

THE  NIGHT  HUNTING  DOG  —  HIS  ANCESTRY.  . 

DOGS  of  almost  any  breed,  from  the  nonde- 
script mongrel  to  the  bred  and  developed 
hound  may  be  taught  to  hunt  in  the 
woods  at  night.  However,  their  success 
is,  in  a  general  way,  in  proportion  to  their  adap- 
tability for  the  work  and  the  plentifulness  of 
game.  For  instance,  take  a  country  raised  dog 
of  hound  parentage,  and  he  is  as  apt  to  make  as 
good  a  night  dog  as  a  pedigreed,  handsome  hound 
which  has  grown  up  in  the  city,  without  oppor- 
tunity to  verify  by  experience  his  instinctive  no- 
tion of  things.  Everything  else  being  equal,  the 
well  bred  hound  should  prove  by  far  the  better 
raw  material  for  a  good  night  hunter. 

The  ideal  coon  dogs  of  most  experienced 
night  hunters  are  the  half  bred  fox  hounds.  Thus 
is  enlisted  tlie  training  of  centuries  to  match  the 
wits  of  the  'coon  which  was  born  waly,  and  de- 
velops strategem  from  experience  and  necessity, 
affording  as  exciting  and  pretty  a  contest  (dog 
vs.  coon  )as  sport  provides. 

The  more  one  knows  of  the  hound  he  follows, 
the  greater  will  be  his  enjoyment  and  success. 
8  33 


34  HUNTING  DOGS. 

He  will  avoid  blaming  the  dog  with  his  own  mis- 
takes, and  wisely  refrain  from  trying  to  exact 
from  the  dog  what  by  physique  and  breeding  he 
was  not  intended  by  nature  to  do. 

How  the  modern  fox  hound  descended  from 
the  blood  hound  and  the  coon  hound  from  the  fox 
hound  is  an  interesting  study  of  more  or  less 
importance  in  striking  an  estimate  of  the  coon 
dog's  prowess  and  abilities.  It  is  not  such  a  far 
cry  from  the  exciting  man  hunt  of  other  days 
to  the  coon  hunt  of  the  present. 

What  we  call  the  native  American  fox- 
hounds are  descended  from  dogs  brought  over 
from  PJngland,  Ireland  and  France.  The  set- 
tlers at  Jamestown  imported  the  hounds  that 
spread  out  over  the  southern  frontier,  originat- 
ing the  superb  packs  to  be  found  throughout  the 
South  to-day. 

The  imported  dog  has  never  proven  a  good 
performer  in  the  chase,  owing  to  very  widely 
different  conditions  encountered.  His  value  has 
been  in  cross  breeding  to  give  bone  and  substance 
to  native  breeds. 

Says  one  authority :  By  selection  and  a  dif- 
ferent character  of  work,  we  have  produced  a 
lighter,  faster  hound  than  the  ancestral  type. 
Our  hounds  are  required  to  go  and  search  for  a 
fox.     That   quality   has  become   instinctive   in 


THE   NIGHT   HUNTING   DOG,   ETC.  35 

them  and  it  is  an  extremely  necessary  natural 
quality. 

What  we  have  really  done  in  this  country 
\/ith  the  fox-hound  is,  we  have  created  a  new 
type.  Our  native  hounds  which  are  without  any 
near  English  or  Irish  hound  crosses  are  not  only 
faster  than  their  ancestors,  but  they  get  about  in 
rough  country,  quicker  and  with  greater  ease. 
The  American  bred  dog,  long  accustomed  to  hunt- 
ing, may  be  readily  developed  to  night  hunting. 

There  are  some  strains  of  native  hounds  that 
train  easier  than  others.  Hounds  that  have 
come  down  through  an  ancestry  which  have  long 
been  in  large  packs  have  certain  fixed  notions  or 
instincts  abount  hunting  that  are  more  difficult 
to  change  than  are  hounds  which  have  grown  up 
singly  or  in  couples. 

Whatever  manner  of  hound  the  trainer  may 
undertake  to  develop  it  is  well  for  him  to  con- 
sider the  dog's  ancestry  and  the  way  in  which 
they  have  been  hunted.  He  will  find  if  his  hound 
is  well  bred  that  the  ancestral  influence  will  tend 
to  assert  itself.  Knowing  what  is  in  his  hound, 
the  trainer  will  know  better  how  to  handle  him 
to  bring  him  up  to  the  highest  possible  degree  of 
efficiency. 

There  were  many  different  breeds  of  the 
hound  family  existing  in  England,  when  the  fox 


36  HUNTING   DOGS. 

hound,  the  great  grandfather  of  the  typical  night 
hunter  under  consideration,  began  to  assume  a 
fixed  type  and  receive  recognition. 

"A  popular  error''  writes  another  authority, 
^into  which  many  writers  have  fallen  is  to  asso- 
ciate the  fox  hound  with  any  one  or  two  breeds 
of  hounds  for  his  common  ancestry,  for  the  fact 
is  that  both  the  English  and  American  fox  hound 
is  a  composite  animal,  descended  from  many  dif- 
ferent varieties  of  hounds  which  have  existed  in 
the  past.'' 

There  are  a  number  of  breeds  of  hounds  in 
France  to-day  that  cannot  be  intelligently  traced 
to  any  peculiar  origin  and  there  have  been  a 
greater  variety  of  hounds  in  the  past,  whicli  have 
found  the  way  into  the  kingdom  by  different 
roads. 

It  will  never  be  known  exactly  what  hunting 
qualities  the  hounds  of  our  crude  forefathers  pos- 
sessed or  with  wliat  melody  of  tongue,  accuracy 
of  scent,  or  fleetness  of  foot  they  pursued  game, 
which  consisted,  with  now  and  then  an  excep- 
tion, of  the  stag,  wild  boar  and  wolf,  until  the 
gradual  advance  of  civilization  drove  the  larger 
animals  from  denuded  forest  and  left  the  cun- 
ning fox  as  the  logical  object  of  especial  attention 
to  huntsmen,  who  liave  spared  neither  time  nor 
expense  to  accomplish  his  death  legitimately  for 
nearly  two  centuries. 


THE   NIGHT   HUNTING    DOG,    ETC.  37 

Summing  up  we  are  impressed  with  the  fact 
that  the  perfect  fox  or  coon  hound  is  a  superb 
physical  being  of  most  versatile  and  capable 
properties,  subject  to  our  beck  and  call,  if  we 
learn  the  language  of  the  chase,  before  we  at- 
tempt to  tell  him  what  is  wanted. 

Let  us  go  to  the  next  important  topic.  Train- 
ing the  Night  Hunter,  with  due  respect  and  hu- 
mility. Success  in  training  a  fine  performer  is  a 
credit  to  a  man;  failure  is  a.  discredit.  Heed 
well  the  advice  of  experienced  men,  and  profit  by 
their  mistakes. 


O 

o 
o 
O 


CHAPTER  III. 

TRAINING  THE  HUNTING  DOG. 

TN  traininii;  liounds,  one  should  remember  that 
they  Avill  always  haye  a  hobby  for  the  first 
!:iame  they  learn  to  lumt;  therefore,  we 
sliouhl  be  careful  to  start  them  first  at  the 
right  kind  as  for  instance  :  If  3^ou  desire  to  haye 
an  all  around  hound  that  y  ill  hunt  coon,  fox  and 
rabbit  and  to  hunt  each  game  well,  and  in  order 
to  succeed  you  must  break  him  in  on  coon  first, 
then  when  he  knows  the  ''A,  B,  C,''  of  Mr.  Coon, 
you  can  break  him  on  foxes  and  then  on  rabbits 
in  the  day  time  and  wlien  you  Ayill  hunt  coon  he 
will  pay  no  attention  to  the  fox  or  rabbit  eyen  if 
he  would  see  one  in  front  of  him,  proyiding  there 
are  coons  in  that  bush. 

If  you  desire  to  haye  a  true  deer  hound, 
train  him  first  on  deer,  then  on  foxes,  but  you 
must  in  all  cases  train  them  well  on  one  kind 
before  you  start  on  another ;  therefore,  a  hound 
thus  trained  Ayill  always  hunt  deer  in  preference 
to  fox.  The  same  would  exist  if  the  dog  was  first 
trained  on  the  fox. 

Some  people  claim  that  it  takes  from  three 
to  fiye  years  to  train  a  hound  right.  Well,  this  is 

39 


40  HUNTING  DOGS. 

not  always  the  case.  Young  hounds  twelve  to  fif- 
teen months  old  are  often  taken  from  the  city 
into  the  bush  and  in  three  days  would  hunt  deer 
as  well  as  other  do.cjs  of  five  and  six  years'  train- 
ing. The  reason  for  this  is  that  these  dogs  take  as 
naturally  to  hunting  as  ducks  do  to  water.  These 
dogs  are  born  with  the  hunting  instinct  in  them 
and  being  very  intelligent,  will  start  at  once  to 
beat  a  bush  as  well  as  an  old  timer,  as  soon  as 
they  have  seen  the  game  once  they  will  remember 
it  all  their  life  and  you  can  train  them  to  hunt 
any  kind  whether  it  is  a  bear,  deer,  fox,  etc. 

Of  a  necessity  in  treating  on  the  general  sub- 
ject of  training  hunting  dogs,  some  suggestions 
are  applicable  to  all  kinds,  while  others  have  in- 
dividual bearing.  Under  the  subject  of  this 
chapter  will  be  given  subdivisions  relating  to 
specific  training  for  specific  hunting  in  so  far  as 
required. 

There  are  some  fundamental  lessons  that  all 
hunting  dogs  should  be  taught  to  do  and  some 
tilings  which  he  is  not  to  do. 

Let  him  begin  to  follow  you  when  he  is  three 
or  four  months  old;  take  him  through  herds  of 
sheep  and  cattle,  and  if  lie  starts  after  them, 
scold  him;  if  he  continues  chasing  them,  whip 
him.  I  do  not  believe  in  whipping  where  it  can 
be  avoided,  but  if  compelled  to,  do  not  take  a 
clul)  or  a  No.  10  l)oot,  but  a  switch;  and  I  never 


TRAINING  THE  HUNTING  DOG. 


41 


correct  a  dog  by  pulling  his  ears  for  fear  of  hurt- 
ing his  hearing,  as  a  dog  that  is  hard  of  hearing 
ib  not  an  A  No.  1  dog.  Never  set  your  dog  on 
stock  of  any  kind  nor  allow  him  to  run  after 
other  dogs  or  house-cats. 

By  the  time  he  is  four  months  old,  he  will 


'The  Fox  Hound  is  a   Composite  Animal. 


likely  begin  to  run  rabbits,  but  some'do  not  com- 
mence until  older.  Let  him  run  them  as  it  will 
teach  him  to  trail  and  harden  his  muscles,  and, 
should  you  have  more  than  one,  it  will  teach 
them  to  depend  on  each  other,  and  they  will  soon 
learn  to  go  to  other  dogs  when  they  start  a  trail 
or  pick  up  a  loss.    If  you  have  a  fox  or  coon  hide 


42  HUNTING   DOGS. 

to  drag  or  a  pet  to  lead,  it  Avill  not  do  any  harm, 
tliougli  1  do  not  thiuk  it  of  niucli  value  as  they 
soon  learn  to  associate  your  tracks  with  those 
of  the  fox  or  coon,  and  I  greatly  prefer  letting 
tliem  run  rabbits  as  a  mode  of  training  them. 

By  the  time  ihej  are  eight  months  old,  take 
them  out  vv  ith  a  slow  dog  tliat  runs  and  barks  a 
great  deal,  both  trailing  and  running,  and  as 
soon  as  the  fox  is  running,  let  your  pup  go,  but 
do  not  let  him  go  u.ntil  tlie  old  dog  has  passed 
with  the  fox.  Should  you  let  him  go  meeting  the 
old  dog  lie  may  take  the  back  track,  but  if  you 
Avait  until  the  old  dog  has  passed  j^our  pup,  he 
will  come  in  behind,  and,  if  he  is  bred  right,  will 
go  in  and  stay  as  long  as  he  can  find  a  trail  to 
follow. 

If  he  should  come  out  after  a  short  run,  keep 
him  until  the  fox  is  tired ;  then  let  him  go  again, 
and  if  he  still  continues  to  come  out  after  a  few 
times,  don't  fool  witli  him,  but  try  him  for  some- 
thing else.  If  your  pup  lias  been  in  aood  trim, 
and  has  come  out  tliree  tiiues  on  fair  trials,  there 
is  very  little  chance  of  making  a  fox  dog  out  of 
liim. 

I  have  h.ad  pups  of  tliis  kind  vrhich  I  kept 
iTutil  tliey  were  two  years  old;  kave  bought  pet 
foxes,  and  let  them  catch  and  kill  them,  but 
never  yet  made  a  runner  out  of  a  dog  that  it  was 
not  born  in. 


44  HUNTING  DOGS. 

Sboulcl  joiir  pnp  go  in  and  stay,  don't  run 
him  too  often  unless  lie  is  near  a  year  old.  Never 
take  him  out  unless  he  is  Avell  fed,  and  in  good 
shape  to  run.  After  a  race  or  two  let  him  go  as 
soon  as  the  trail  is  struck,  and  after  a  fe^Y  races, 
catch  the  old  dog,  after  tlie  fox  is  going,  and  see 
what  the  pup  Avill  do  alone.  Then  take  them 
out  on  a  good  day,  let  the  old  dog  pick  up  the 
trail,  and  after  the  puiis  have  started,  catch  the 
old  dog  and  let  the  pups  go  alone,  and  if  they 
trail,  start  and  run  that  fox  to  a  finish,  that  is 
all  the  pedigree  they  will  ever  need. 

When  you  turn  your  dog  loose,  don't  run 
and  yell  and  get  him  so  excited  that  he  doesn't 
know  what  to  do,  just  unbuckle  his  collar  and  let 
him  go.  If  he  does  not  understand  going  into  a 
race,  it  Avill  not  help  matters  to  excite  him,  just 
walk  to  wlicre  the  fox  has  passed  and  he  will 
likely  take  the  trail,  and  will  know  better  what 
to  do  the  next  time. 

When  your  dogs  are  running  and  happen  to 
lose  the  trail  near  you,  do  not  run  and  call,  try- 
ing to  help  them  get  started,  for  if  let  alone  they 
are  far  more  apt  to  pick  it  up  and  go  on  in  good 
shape;  by  getting  them  excited  and  running  wild 
the  chase  would  likely  end  right  there. 

My  rule  is  this:  Whenever  I  pull  a  dog's 
collar,  he  must  look  out  for  No.  1  without  my 
going  to  show  him. 


TRAINING  THE  HUNTING  DOG.  45 

Should  you  not  have  an  old  dog  to  help 
train  your  pup,  you  can  train  him  alone,  but  it 
is  more  trouble. 

If  you  have  snow,  lead  your  dog  until  you 
find  a  fox  trail,  then  follow  it,  still  leading  your 
dog ;  if  there  happens  to  be  considerable  scent  in 
the  trail,  he  may  Avant  to  follow  it,  if  so  turn  him 
loose,  but  follow  him  up  and  help  him  to  start 
his  fox.  If  there  is  no  scent  in  the  trail,  lead 
your  dog  until  you  start  the  fox,  then  let  him  go 
and  let  him  work  for  himself. 

Should  you  have  neither  snow  nor  trained 
dog,  you  will  have  more  trouble,  but  I  have  made 
No.  1  dogs  without  either. 

If  you  know  where  foxes  stay,  go  there,  turn 
your  dog  loose,  and  lie  will  start  to  running  rab- 
bits; this  will  scare  the  fox  up  and  your  dog  will 
likely  cross  its  track;  if  he  is  a  born  fox  dog, 
he  will  leave  the  rabbit  for  the  fox  every  time. 
You  may  have  to  make  several  trips,  but  after 
you  get  one  race,  your  dog  will  be  looking  for  a 
fox  chase,  and  will  soon  take  a  cold  fox  trail  in 
preference  to  a  rabbit. 

After  you  have  trained  your  dog  to  running 
foxes  or  coon,  you  will  wish  to  break  him  of  run- 
ning rabbits;  this  is  generally  an  easy  matter, 
for  a  genuine  dog  prefers  the  fox  or  coon  and 
some  will  quit  it  of  their  own  accord.  If  not,  try 
scolding  him  when  he  starts  a  rabbit.     If  that 


46  HUNTING  DOGS. 

fails,  whip  him,  but  where  foxes  are  plentiful, 
you  will  seldom  have  to  do  this. 

My  pups  are  accustomed  to  the  crack  of  a 
22  rifle,  as  I  shoot  near  them  while  young,  so 
never  have  any  gun-shy  dogs. 

There  is  just  as  much  in  feeding  a  running 
dog,  as  a  running  horse.  Some  say  a  light  feed 
just  before  starting  and  I  have  heard  some  say, 
don't  feed  at  all.  Now  for  a  grej  fox,  it  does  not 
make  so  much  difference,  as  the  chase  will  only 
last  an  hour  or  two,  and  sometimes  not  ten  min- 
utes, but  where  it  comes  to  an  old  red  fox,  — 
one  that  you  start  Saturday  night  and  return 
just  in  time  to  accompany  your  wife  to  church 
next  morning,  it  is  quite  different. 

A  dog  to  do  his  best  should  be  used  to  run- 
ning. He  should  have  a  few  days'  rest,  and  if 
his  feet  are  sore,  grease  once  each  day  with  salty 
grease.  At  least  three  days  before  the  race,  drop 
all  sloppy  food  and  give  rye  or  corn-bread  with 
scraps  from  the  butcher  shop  mixed  in  before 
baking.  Feed  liberally  twice  each  day  and  if 
your  race  promises  to  be  a  hard  one,  feed  extra 
before  starting,  some  food  that  will  give  the 
greatest  amount  of  strength,  with  the  least  pos- 
sible bulk.  Then  arrange  to  give  your  dog  a  good 
heavy  feed  as  soon  as  he  returns  home,  and  he 
will  be  ready  for  the  next  race  sooner  than  if 
compelled  to  go  to  rest  hungry. 


TRAINING  THE  HUNTING  DOG.  47 

Before  closing,  I  will  say  something  more 
with  regard  to  breeding :  —  We  often  see  where 
someone  has  pure  bred  Walker,  Williams,  Red- 
bone  or  Buckfield  Blues.  Now  to  my  understand- 
ing, these  are  strains  of  dogs,  bred  by  southern 
fox  hunters,  50  or  75  years  ago,  and  to  keep  them 
pure,  there  must  have  been  a  lot  of  inbreeding,  a 
thing  I  do  not  approve  of.  Now  why  would  it 
not  have  been  better  for  Mr.  Walker  to  have  se- 
lected one  of  his  very  best  bitches  and  bred  her  to 
one  of  Mr.  Williams'  best  dogs,  then  called  the 
pups  the  "American  Fox  Hounds" — as  grand  a 
dog  as  ever  put  his  nose  to  a  trail? 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TRAINING  THE  COON  DOG. 

TN  training,  we  have  been  told  to  drag  a 
'coon  hide,  lead  a  pet  'coon,  etc.,  but  your 
pup  soon  learns  to  associate  your  tracks 
with  the  trail  of  the  drag,  and  when  3^ou 
carry  the  -coon  hide  he  simply  follows  your  track 
to  where  you  start  the  drag  again.  Should  you 
have  a  'coon  so  tame  that  it  will  follow  you, 
start  out  and.  tramp  through  the  woods,  along 
streams  and  just  such  places  as  'coons  frequent. 
Your  'coon  will  run  logs,  go  up  on  the  side  of 
trees,  in  and  out  of  the  water,  in  fact  will  do 
just  about  as  a  wild  'coon  would.  After  jow 
have  been  gone  for  some  time,  have  someone  turn 
your  pup  on  the  trail  and  if  he  runs  it,  keep 
him  a  little  later  each  time,  and  you  will  soon 
have  a  trailer  out  of  him  anyway.  Should  you 
have  neither  'coon  nor  old  dog,  you  can  train 
your  pup  without. 

In  nearly  all  places  Avhere  there  are  'coons, 
squirrels  and  woodchucks  (groundhogs)  may  be 
found  also.  Teach  your  dog  to  lead  and  when 
he  is  about  eight  months  old,  attach  a  light  cord 
to  his  collar;  then  some  good  morning  for 
4  49 


50  HUNTING  DOGS. 

squirrels,  take  him  to  the  woods.  Keep  him 
until  he  gets  sight  of  a  squirrel,  then  drop  the 
cord  and  let  him  go;  he  will  likely  see  it  run 
up  a  tree,  and  perhaps  he  will  bark,  but  if  not, 
do  not  urge  him,  but  give  him  plenty  of  time; 
then  take  him  to  find  another  and  if  he  does  not 
get  to  barking,  get  one  in  small  timber,  where 
you  can  make  it  jump  from  tree  to  tree;  if  he 
does  not  bark  then,  he  will  never  be  much  of  a 
■coon  dog. 

If  he  barks  after  he  has  learned  to  tree 
squirrels,  take  him  to  a  woodchuck  country.  He 
will  soon  get  to  working  after  woodchucks  and 
while  they  won't  all  tree,  some  of  them  will. 
Should  he  get  one  in  a  hole,  hollow  log  or  tree, 
get  it  for  him  if  possible  and  let  him  kill  it,  and 
see  that  he  doesn't  get  hurt  much.  If  he  trees 
one,  shoot  it  out  for  him,  and  after  he  has  got- 
ten a  few,  and  trees  another,  go  to  where  you 
can  see  him,  but  do  not  let  him  see  you,  and 
watch  until  he  starts  to  leave;  then  go  to  him 
and  by  so  doing,  he  will  learn  to  stay  and  wait 
for  you. 

After  you  have  a  good  dog  for  woodchucks, 
you  may  rest  assured  that  he  will  tree  a  'coon  if 
he  finds  a  trail.  If  it  happens  to  be  summer 
time,  take  him  where  'coons  abide  and  turn 
him  loose.  He  will  likely  run  rabbits,  but  when 
he  strikes  a  'coon  trail,  he  will  take  it.    As  soon 


TRAINING  THE  COON  DOG.  61 

as  you  know  lie  is  after  a  'coon,  keep  after  him 
as  near  as  possible,  but  let  him  have  his  own 
way.  If  he  trees  it  and  barks,  get  to  him  as 
soon  as  you  can,  but  do  not  urge  him,  for  he 
will  get  to  lying  as  soon  as  you  want  him  to 
without  any  help  from  you. 

After  he  has  barked  awhile,  encircle  the  tree 
with  him;  then  if  the  'coon  has  been  up  and 
gone  on  again,  he  will  strike  his  trail,  and,  after 
a  few  times,  he  will  learn  to  circle  before  bark- 
ing. If  the  'coon  is  up  and  it  is  summer  time 
or  early  fall,  when  'coon  hides  are  not  prime, 
take  3^our  dog  back  from  the  tree,  keep  still, 
and  unless  it  is  a  den  tree,  you  won't  have  loug 
to  wait,  for  another  'coon  chase,  and  by  keeping 
your  dog  longer  each  time,  you  will  soon  have  a 
cold  trailer  out  of  him. 

This  may  seem  considerable  work  for  some, 
but  it  takes  work  and  time  to  make  even  a  fair 
'coon  dog.  Should  you  have  a  good  dog  to  train 
with,  it  saves  lots  of  work,  but  even  then  it  is  a 
good  plan  to  work  early  in  the  season,  and  tree 
your  'coon  several  times  in  one  night,  as  you 
do  not  have  far  to  go  after  the  first  tree. 

In  breeding  'coon  dogs,  the  same  rule  ap- 
plies as  in  fox  dogs  — •  if  your  dog  is  bred  from 
a  line  of  'cooners,  he  will  take  to  it  naturally. 
Some  one  will  say,  I  will  take  a  house  cat  to 
teach  my  dog  to  tree.     Well  I  have  done  that 


52  HUNTING   DOGS. 

myself,  but  after  cutting  several  good  trees, 
only  to  get  a  house  cat,  I  learned  better.  It  is 
just  as  easy  to  break  a  dog  from  running  cats, 
as  rabbits,  and  more  so.  I  do  not  consider  a  dog 
that  will  run  and  tree  eyery  house  cat  he  strikes 
the  trail  of,  a  No.  1  'coon  dog,  no  matter  what 
his  other  good  qualities  may  be. 

Years  ago,  when  timber  was  more  plentiful 
than  no\v,  I  alwa^'S  trained  my  dog  to  take  care 
of  himself,  when  a  tree  was  cut  for  'coons,  and 
I  neyer  had  a  dog  get  hurt,  nor  had  many  'coons 
to  get  yeiy  far  from  the  tree. 

They  are  easily  taught  by  cutting  small 
trees  in  the  day  time  and  making  them  keep  back 
until  the  tree  is  down;  but  now,  timber  is  get- 
ting rather  scarce  and  valuable  to  cut  for 
'coons. 

When  a  dog  is  trained  for  'coon  so  that  he 
is  first  class,  he  is  valuable  in  dollars  and  cents 
as  well  as  satisfaction.  One  of  our  good  friends 
sets  the  value  in  tliis  way,  and  we  agree  with 
him,  except  that  where  one  is  training  a  dog  for 
his  own  use,  love  of  the  pursuit  and  woods  re- 
pays him  in  a  measure  for  his  trouble: 

"A  man  ought  not  to  expect  to  get  a  first 
class  'coon  dog  for  five  or  ten  dollars.  In  fact, 
one  can't  be  trained  for  that  price,  not  saying 
anything  about  his  feed.  In  the  first  place  stop 
and  consider  how  many  nights  one  has  to  be 


TRAINING  THE  COON  DOG.  •  53 

taken  out  to  get  liim  to  understand  running 
them,  and  to  learn  their  tricks  and  to  tree  and 
stay  treed.  They  may  do  this  in  a  reasonably 
short  time  with  another  older,  well  trained  dog 
to  show  them  how  to  find  the  tree  and  keep 
them  out  there,  but  then  take  him  out  by  himself 
and  when  Mr.  'Coon  goes  in  the  creek  or  around 
an  old  pond  or  bog  your  young  dog  lacks  ex- 
perience and  a  year's  work  or  more. 

Then  there  is  the  rabbit  which  he  must  be 
broken  not  to  run,  and  a  dog  can  always  find 
their  tracks  before  he  can  a  'coon.  Now  here  is 
where  the  right  kind  of  judgment  must  be  used, 
as  all  dogs  cannot  be  handled  alike,  and  one 
may  spoil  a  pup  in  trying  to  break  him  from 
rabbits.  So  taking  everything  into  considera- 
tion, it  is  worth  far  more  to  train  a  dog  for  a 
first  class  -coon  dog  than  most  people  consider, 
—  what  it  requires  to  train  a  dog,  and  what  he 
should  be  worth  when  properly  broken. 

Of  course,  it  is  not  so  much  work  to  train 
a  dog  to  run  fox,  as  there  is  generally  a  lot  of 
fox  dogs  one  can  turn  in  with,  and  that  way 
get  a  young  dog  started  and  he  will  take  to 
running  them  naturally." 

I  think  a  good  dog/ either  a  fox  hound,  or 
one  that  has  never  run  foxes,  makes  the  best 
dog,  altho  curs  or  'coon  dogs  are  not  to  be  kicked 
out,  that  is  if  they  are  good,  true  hunters.     I 


54  HUNTING   DOGS. 

wouldn't  advise  tryino-  to  train  a  lionnd  with  a 
cur  unless  he  is  an  old  'coon  dog.  Tr^-  and  get 
your  dog  on  a  'coon  right  in  the  start,  and  do 
not  let  him  fight  too  much  the  first  time,  unless 
he  is  an  extra  fighter.  Do  not  let  3^our  dog 
stay  out  hunting  when  the  other  dogs  have  treed 
a  'coon;  make  him  come  in  and  bark  up  the 
tree.  Always  climb  the  tree  for  your  dog  and 
get  w^hat  he  has,  no  matter  if  it  takes  until  day- 
light. 

When  I  own  young  dogs,  J  always  train 
them  m3self.  I  never  permit  a  stranger  to 
handle  them.  It  is  all  right  for  strangers  to 
handle  the  old  dogs  once  they  are  trained  but 
the  hunter  who  wishes  to  have  good  dogs  should 
train  them  himself  or  have  a  man  avUo 
thoroughly  understands  the  proper  way  to  use 
young  dogs.  It  is  a  very  easy  matter  to  spoil  a 
dog  when  you  do  not  know  exactly  how  to  pro- 
ceed. 

On  the  question  of  the  proper  age  at  which 
to  begin  training  a  hound,  a  successful  Min- 
nesota trainer  takes  issue  with  those  who  ad- 
vise taking  the  pup  to  field  at  eight  or  ten 
months  of  age.  He  writes  in  part :  ''I  disagTee 
with  those  who  advise  the  early  initiation  of 
the  pup.  Any  kind  of  fairly  well  bred  pup  will 
run,  not  only  at  10  months,  but  at  5,  6  or  7 
months,  but  the  point  to  consider  is,  will  a  dog 


Capable  Cross-bred   Cooners. 


56  HUNTING  DOGS. 

put  at  hard  work  at  such  age,  become  a  hardj 
one?  Will  he  develop  himself  as  well  as  if  he 
had  been  given  a  chance  to  grow  some  bones? 
I  say  no;  put  a  colt  at  hard  work  at  2  or  3 
years  old,  will  he  ever  be  the  horse  which  he 
would  have  been,  if  he  had  only  been  broken  at 
4  or  5  years  old?  Every  horse  breeder  knows 
that  if  he  wants  a  good  roadster,  he  must  give 
him  a  chance  to  grow,  then  he  will  not  be  afraid 
to  cover  60  or  more  miles  in  a  day  with  that 
horse ;  not  only  this  but  he  will  get  many  times 
the  price  for  that  horse  as  for  his  brother 
which  was  put  to  work  two  years  earlier.  I 
have  bred  horses  and  know  of  what  I  speaK. 

There  are  many  reasons  why  a  sportsman 
should  not  start  to  train  his  dog  to  hunt  before 
he  is  full  grown,  that  is  at  least  not  until  he  is 
12  to  15  months  old.  Before  that  age,  a  pup 
may  have  the  will  but  he  has  not  the  strength 
to  cover  the  ground  of  an  old  dog.  A  man  who 
has  a  valuable  pup  should  wait  until  he  is 
capable  to  stand  hardships,  and  until  he  has  also 
a  good  knowledge  box.  In  allowing  a  pup  of 
6,  7,  8  or  10  months  to  hunt,  he  will  learn  more 
bad  tricks  than  good  ones,  such  as  to  remain  in 
the  bush  longer  than  necessary,  and  soon  become 
a  long  record  dog.  The  risk  is  great  that  he 
will  get  lost,  or  if  not,  will  return  with  swollen 
feet  and  legs  if  he  ran  at  all,  also  be  chilled  and 


TRAINING  THE  COON  DOG.  57 

be  rewarded  with  a  fine  dose  of  distemper.  This 
is  often  the  cause  why  so  many  young  dogs  die 
with  distemper  or  of  some  other  lingering  death, 
but  if  a  man  gives  time  to  his  dog  to  develop 
and  get  strong,  the  chance  is,  should  he  ever 
get  distemper,  it  would  be  but  a  slight  attack 
from  which  he  will  soon  recover." 

We  take  it,  however,  that  our  well  informed 
friend  does  not  mean  to  imply  that  a  pup  should 
not  be  taken  afield  and  given  a  kindergarten 
course  earlier  than  a  year  old.  His  contention 
is,  no  doubt,  that  the  pup  should  not  be  per- 
mitted to  over  exert  himself  or  to  be  thrown  too 
much  on  his  own  resources. 


O 


CHAPTER  V. 

TRAINING  FOR  SKUNK^  OPOSSUM  AND  MINK. 

^LL  the  foregoing  has  more  or  less  appli- 
cation to  the  present  topic.  We  are 
still  dealing  wKh  the  nocturnal  ^YaIl- 
derers.  Occasionally  any  of  the  abovi^ 
may  be  discovered  abroad  in  the  full  glare  of 
day.  Some  hunters  successfully  locate  them, 
by  the  aid  of  dogs,  in  their  dens  or  burrows  and 
capture  them  in  the  day-time.  This  is  a  cut 
and  dried  operation  that  recpiires  none  of  the  re- 
sourceful tactics  of  man  and  dog  in  the  chase, 
and  is,  therefore,  dismissed  from  the  discussion. 
Now,  what  are  the  dog's  duties?  The  mat- 
ter of  still  hunters  vs.  tonguers,  being  of  such 
variance  of  opinion,  it  will  be  discussed  in  a 
subsequent  and  separate  chapter. 

Having  imi^ressed  your  dog  Avith  the  fact 
that  you  want  him  to  look  out  for  skunk,  possum 
and  mink,  as  well  as  'coon,  the  next  point  of  im- 
portance is  to  insist  on  the  dog  staying  Avith 
the  quarry  and  barking  until  you  arrive;  also 
not  to  take  hold  until  the  word  is  given  as  the 
hide  is  apt  to  be  all  chewed  up  and  full  of  holes 
if  the  dog  is  too  long  and  too  vigorous  in  the 

59 


60  HUNTING   DOGS. 

task.  Many  hunters  pick  up  many  of  the  skunk 
on  the  field,  without  even  being  touched  by  the 
dogs. 

In  this  connection  a  contributor  writes: 
^'We  walk  right  up  to  the  skunks  and  pick  them 
up  by  the  tails;  then  hit  them  on  the  head 
with  a  club  and  kill  them  or  put  them  in  the 
bag  and  take  them  home  alive,  as  the  occasion 
may  suit." 

"NoWj  I  won't  tell  that  I  can  catch  skunks 
without  getting  scented,  but  will  sa}'  this,  we 
have  caught  hundreds  by  the  tail,  and  after 
lifting  them  clear  off  the  ground,  never  have 
been  scented  by  them.  As  I  said  before,  I  go  for 
the  business  end  of  it,  and  am  not  afraid  to  get 
some  scent  on  me  as  long  as  I  don't  get  it  in 
my  eyes.  If  you  get  it  in  your  eyes,  it  feels 
about  as  if  you  had  horse-radish  or  hot  water 
in  them  for  the  next  ten  minutes,  which  is  not 
altogether  pleasant." 

The  skunk  is  a  foolish,  unresourceful  animal 
and  were  it  not  for  its  natural,  unique  means 
of  defense,  would  be  utterly  at  the  mercy  of 
dogs  and  hunters.  Many  dogs  object  to  the 
scent  and  will  trail  and  bring  to  bay  a  skunk 
only  with  reluctance.  Only  those  who  hunt  for 
profit,  care  to  take  the  skunk,  and  he  must  n?eds 
learn  the  finer  points  by  experience. 

The  Scotch  Terrier  and  Beaijle  should  be 


TRAINING  FOR  SKUNK,  OPOSSUM,   ETC. 


61 


mink  dog.  The  steel  trap  is  more  generally  re- 
lied upon  to  bag  the  sly  mink  and  his  capture 
with  dog  and  gun  is  oft-times  ver^^  unproductive, 
A  Pennsylvania  hunter  contributes  the  fol- 
io win  2:  to  the  general  fund : 


Opossums  Are  Easily   Caught  Alive   for   Training   Purposes. 

a  good  cross  for  mink  as  well  as  rabbit.  This 
combination  gives  the  requisite  agility  needed 
in  coping  with  mink.  Some  even  advise  a  strain 
of  water  Spaniel  with  the  above  breed  for  ideal 
"Before  taking  him  out  you  can  teach  the 
young  dog  when  8  or  10  months  old,  what  to 


62  HUNTING   DOGS. 

do  bj  catching  an  animal  that  you  wish  to  train 
3'our  dog  on  and  leading  it  around.  If  it  is  a 
'coon  or  opossum,  then  put  up  a  tree  or  on  a 
fence.  Loose  jour  dog  and  let  him  trail  until 
he  finds  it.  Teach  the  dog  to  bark  by  hissing 
him  on  and  clapping,  whooping  to  him  and  such 
like. 

If  for  skunk,  kill  one  and  drag  it  around, 
place  it  out  of  pup's  reach,  and  teach  him  to 
bark  when  he  comes  upon  his  game.  You  can 
teach  the  habit  of  tongueing  after  night  or 
silence  on  the  trail  as  you  prefer.  Let  yonr 
young  dog  shake  and  chew  at  the  game  you  are 
training  him  to  hunt  for.  After  he  has  found 
it  and  he  fails  to  bark  by  hissing  him,  tie  a  rope 
three  feet  long  to  it  and  keep  throwing  it  toward 
him  and  pulling  it  quickly  away  to  teach  him  to 
grab  at  it  and  hold  on,  and  also  bark.  A  live 
skunk  generally  gives  a  young  dog  such  a  les- 
son the  first  time  that  he  is  always  afraid  of  one 
afterwards,  unless  he  is  an  Irish  terrier  or  bull 
dog  or  beagle  crossed.  These  two  breeds  are 
good  ones  for  any  kind  of  night  hunting. 

Take  a  live  animal,  a  -coon  or  something, 
and  lead  it  past  your  young  dog's  box  where  he 
is  tied  and  let  him  see  it  and  take  notice  how  he 
will  want  it,  but  all  you  want  is  to  teach  him  the 
scent  and  how  to  tongue  when  he  comes  up  on 


TRAINING  FOR  SKUNK,  OPOSSUM,  ETC.         63 

the    game.      I    believe   what    I    have   told    will 
generally  break  any  dog. 

A  good  dog,  well  broken  to  hunt  'coon, 
skunk  of  opossum  is  worth  scores  of  traps. 
Don't  be  afraid  to  switch  a  young  dog  some,  to 
make  him  learn  good  from  bad,  like  tongueing 
track  and  rabbit.  Always  pet  him  and  be 
friendly  after  chastising  him,  and  a  good  scold- 
ing with  a  couple  of  light  smacks  with  open 
hand  will  take  the  place  of  a  whipping.  Don't 
use  a  stick  unless  necessary.  Use  judgment,  the 
same  as  you  would  want  some  one  to  use  you, 
and  in  a  few  nights'  training  your  dog  will  be 
catching  game.  It  is  easy  sailing  after  a  few 
are  caught,  and  your  dog  is  your  greatest  friend 
you  have.  He  will  make  you  from  |5.00  to 
115.00  a  night,  where  if  you  were  trapping  for 
the  same  game,  you  would  be  lucky  if  you  got  a 
dollar's  worth  of  fur,  and  besides  what  is  finer 
sport  than  a  day's  gunning,  to  hear  your  old  dog 
up  on  yonder  hill  or  in  some  woods  talking  to 
you  to  come  his  way?" 


CHAPTER  VI. 

WOLF   AND   COYOTE   HUNTING. 

IN  training  a  dog  to  run  wolves,  it  is  unsafe 
to  allow  a  young  dog  to  go  alone,  as  some 
wolves  prefer  fighting  to  running,  and  if 
a  young  dog  is  whipped  back  a  few  times, 
he  will  become  afraid,  or  will  be  perhaps, 
spoiled  altogether.  Training  a  dog  to  hunt 
young  wolves  is  a  harder  task,  and  unless  your 
dog  is  born  for  it,  you  will  fail  to  make  anything 
like  a  first  class  dog  out  of  him.  Almost  any 
good  fox  dog  will  hunt  old  wolves,  but  very  few 
will  hunt  pups,  and  my  experience  has  been 
that  a  bitch  will  hunt  quicker  than  a  dog.  There 
are  a  great  many  dogs  that  will  trail  and  hunt 
a  Avolf  to  a  finish,  but  will  pay  no  attention  to 
the  pups  whatever;  but  if  you  succeed  in  finding 
one  that  is  inclined  to  hunt  them,  remember 
that  practice  makes  perfect. 

Speaking  of  brush  wolves :  The  kind  of  dog 
needed  is  a  good  ranger,  extra  good  cold  trailer 
and  an  everlasting  stayer.  Then  if  he  will  only 
run  a  short  distance  after  starting  the  wolf 
and  come  back  and  hunt  the  pups,  and  then 
bark  at  them  when  found,  you  have  a  good,  valu- 
5  65 


66  HUNTING   DOGS. 

able  dog.  There  are  plenty  of  dogs  that  will 
hunt  and  trail  wolves  all  right,  but  very  few 
that  will  hunt  the  pups. 

Sometimes  when  your  dog  trails  in  near  the 
pups  you  Avill  get  a  fight,  and  sometimes  they 
will  jump  out  and  run  for  it.  Sometimes  if 
the  pups  are  quite  young  you  will  find  the  mother 
in  with  them  and  for  the  first  few  days  she  will 
be  found  near  them,  but  as  they  grow  older  she 
will  be  found  farther  away. 

A  Minnesota  Avolfer  who  averages  35  wolves 
a  year  pins  his  faith  in  the  long  eared  variety 
of  hounds,  with  features  of  strength,  endurance, 
good  tonguers  and  stayers. 

From  another  source  we  are  advised  that 
the  best  dogs  ever  for  coyotes,  are  part  English 
blue  and  Russian  stag.  English  blue  are  very 
fast  and  the  stag  are  long  winded  and  have  the 
grit  to  make  a  good  fight. 

Another  admired  and  capable  dog  is  the 
one-half  Scotch  stag  hound  and  one-half  grey 
hound. 

A  Wisconsin  hunter  writes  tliat  the  best 
breed  to  catch  and  kill  coyotes  are  one-half  shep- 
herd and  one-half  hound.  They  are  faster  than 
a  hound  and  trail  just  as  well  on  a  hot  trail. 

Another  fast  breed  for  co3'otes  is  a  one- 
fourth  English  bull,  one-fourth  blood  hound  and 
one-half  fox  hound. 


68  HUNTING   DOGS. 

A  Kansas  hunter  contributes  some  first 
hand  discussion  of  wolf  hunting  as  follows :  I 
have  been  hunting  wolves  with  dogs  for  eight 
or  nine  years  and  have  caught  my  share.  I  only 
hunt  in  spring  and  late  in  fall,  but  any  time  is 
good  when  you  can  find  them.  But  don't  take 
your  dogs  out  in  summer,  as  it  will  be  sure  to 
be  the  time  when  you  will  find  a  hard  race,  and 
there  is  where  you  will  hurt  some  of  your  best 
dogs.  I  use  a  pack  of  from  three  to  five,  but  th(3 
more  the  better. 

I  have  tried  most  all  kinds  of  dogs  and  have 
found  a  cross  with  stag  hound  and  English  grey- 
hound suits  me  the  best.  I  don't  have  any  use 
for  a  full  blood  English  greyhound  —  they  can- 
not stand  the  cold  weather  and  are  too  easily 
hurt  in  a  fight 

I  want  a  dog  that  will  weigh  75  pounds, 
with  long  legs  and  short  back  so  he  can  gather 
himself  up  quickly.  I  don't  think  foxhounds  are 
any  good  for  wolves.  I  have  seen  thirty-five 
of  them  start  after  the  same  wolf,  in  good 
weather  and  four  hours  afterward  there  were 
onh^  two,  the  smallest  of  the  pack,  still  in  the 
race.  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  they  could  have 
taken  the  wolf  several  times  in  the  race,  but  all 
they  could  do  was  to  bark. 

I  will  not  say  a  full  blood  stag  hound  is  not 
all  right,  in  a  level,  unobstructed  country,  but 


WOLF  AND  COYOTE  HUNTING.  69 

in  many  parts  of  the  country  many  large  dogs 
would  not  be  able  to  get  thru  the  fences  or  over 
the  rough  ground  Avith  the  ease  that  the  smaller 
ones  do, 

I  have  never  seen  the  big  dog  that  could 
cntch  and  kill  a  wolf  by  himself.  I  have  killed 
tliem  with  two,  but  would  rather  have  four  or 
five. 

I  ahvays  hunt  on  a  horse,  and  they  should 
be  the  best  of  horses,  well  broken  and  not  afraid 
of  wire.  I  never  carry  a  gun  of  any  kind,  but 
always  have  a  liammer,  and  if  I  want  to  succor 
the  dogs  in  the  race,  I  will  ride  up  to  the  dogs 
and  kill  the  wolf  for  them. 


Till]  HUSH  WOLFHOUND, 

The  Irisli  wolfhound  of  historj^  is  no  more, 
the  breed  having  become  extinct  years  ago. 
There  lias  been  a  determined  effort,  however,  to 
approximate  him  with  a  present  day  breed. 
The  modern  Irish  wolfhound  is  a  cross  between 
the  Scottish  deerhound  and  tlie  Great  Dane. 
Other  combinations  have  also  been  tried,  with 
more  or  less  good  effect. 

According  to  the  idea  of  the  American-Irish 
Wolfhound  Club,  the  Irish  wolfhound  should  be 
"not  quite  so  heavy  or  massive  as  the  Great 
Dane,  but  more  so  than  the  deerhound,  which 


70  HUNTING   DOGS. 

in  general  type  be  should  resemble.  Of  great 
size  and  commanding  appearance,  very  mus- 
cular, strongly  tbougb  gracefully  built;  moye- 
ments  easy  and  actiye,  bead  and  neck  carried 
bigb ;  tbe  tail  carried  witb  an  upward  sweep, 
witb  a  sligbt  curye  toward  tbe  extremity. 

Tbe  minimum  lieigbt  and  weigbt  of  dogs 
sbould  be  31  incbes  and  120  pounds;  bitcbes 
28  incbes  and  90  pounds.  Anything  beloy/  this 
sbould  be  debarred  from  competition.  Great 
size,  including  height  and  shoulder  and  propor- 
tionate length  of  body  is  the  desideratum  to  be 
aimed  at,  and  it  is  desired  to  firmly  establish  a 
race  that  shall  ayerage  from  32  to  34  inches  in 
dogs,  showing  the  requisite  i^ower,  actiyit}', 
courage  and  symmetry." 

"The  coat  should  be  rough  and  bard  on 
body,  legs  and  head;  especially  Ayiry  and  long 
oyer  the  eyes  and  under  the  jaws.  The  recog- 
nized colors  are  gray,  brindle,  red,  black,  pure 
white,  fawn  or  any  color  that  appears  in  the 
deerhound." 

THE   RUSSIAN    WOLFHOUND. 

The  Russian  wolfhound  iias  a  reputation 
for  being  a  most  capable  wolf-catcher  in  bis 
natiye  countrj^,  but  so  far  the  pure  bred  hound 
of  that  family  has  not  held  bis  own  witb  the 


ATOLP  AND  COYOTE  HUNTING. 


71 


72  HUNTING   DOGS. 

American  wolf.  He  has  the  speed  and  capacity 
for  catching  the  wolf,  but  is  unable  to  cope  with 
him  or  detain  him  long  enough  for  the  hunter 
to  arrive.  Admirers  of  the  dog  say  he  lacks 
training  and  adaption  and  that  he  will  with  a 
generation  or  two  of  careful  training  and 
practice  become  the  most  available  dog  for  the 
purpose. 

Others  get  good  results  by  crossing  in  some 
fiercer  and  stronger  blood. 

The  Russian  ^Volfer  has  somewhat  the  clean 
cut  appearance  of  the  greyhound,  though  more 
stockily  built,  and  has  a  long,  silky  coat  of  wavy 
or  curly  hair. 

"In  general  appearance"  says  an  authority, 
"he  is  an  elegant,  graceful  aristocrat  among 
dogs,  possessing  courage  and  combining  great 
muscular  power  with  extreme  speed,  weighing 
from  75  to  105  pounds.'' 


CHAPTER  YII. 

TRAINING  —  FOR  SQUIRRELS  AND  RABBITS. 

fiEliE  is  Dij  way  for  trainiug  squirrel  and 
coon  hounds,  wliicli  I  think  is  best,  writes 
a  Texas  Hunter.  First,  select  good 
health}^  l^ups,  raise  them  up  friendly  and 
don't  whip  or  cow  them  in  any  Avay  until  about 
ten  or  twelve  months  old,  for  if  pups  get  covred 
Avhen  young  they  will  never  get  over  it.  When 
about  ten  months  old,  take  them  out  hunting- 
wit  h  one  or  two  squirrel  dogs  and  then  when  the 
old  dogs  tree  in  small  trees  or  any  place  where 
you  can  make  them  jump  out,  jumj)  the  squirrel 
out  and  get  your  pups  after  them. 

Then  if  the  S(pairrel  gets  up  another  tree  your 
pups  will  bark  up  the  tree  at  him.  Then  when 
they  bark  well  up  the  tree  at  the  sqiurrel,  pet, 
sick  and  yell  to  let  the  i)ups  know  that  you  are 
trying  to  help  them  catch  the  squirrel.  Keep 
jumping  the  squirrel  out  until  they  catch  him, 
and  if  the^^  don't  catch  him  and  it  gets  away  up 
a  big  tree  where  you  can't  jump  him,  then  shoot 
him  and  they  will  wool  him  wlien  he  falls  out. 

Clean  the  squirrel  and  give  the  pups  some 
of  it  to  eat,  and  you  won't  be  but  a  few  times  out 

74 


TRAINING  FOR  SQUIRRELS  AND  RABBITS.    75 

hunting  squirrels  and  jumping  them  out  for  the 
pups  and  trying  to  help  them  catch  the  squirrel 
until  tliey  will  start  out  hunting  and  treeing 
squirrels  as  good  as  any  old  dog.  If  the  dogs 
won't  bark  up  the  tree  when  you  get  through  all 
of  this  and  they  see  the  squirrel  run  back  up  the 
tree,  you  might  as  well  kill  them  or  take  them 
and  run  deer,  for  they  will  never  make  tree  dogs. 

The  following  directions  for  perfecting  the 
rabbit  dog,  are  from  the  pen  of  an  experienced 
and  successful  Ohio  hunter. 

Get  your  pup  some  day  while  young,  if  pos- 
sible, keep  hiui  by  you,  and  when  you  see  a  spar- 
row or  something  alive,  shoot  it,  pick  it  up  and 
show  him  what  you  shot  at;  do  this  at  home. 
Shoot  all  you  please  while  he  is  young,  so  when 
you  go  hunting  with  him  and  shoot  at  game  he 
won't  be  afraid  and  make  a  bee  line  for  home. 

Most  dogs  will  soon  take  a  liking  to  guns. 
NoAv  to  training  a  beagle  dog  to  be  a  good  one 
on  rabbits,  I  warn  you  never  to  take  another  dog 
along,  but  for  a  common  hound  you  may  use 
your  own  wa3^ 

I  have  seen  good  beagle  dogs  spoiled  by 
other  dogs.  Now,  some  frosty  morning  take  your 
pup  to  where  you  most  think  there  are  rabbits ; 
scare  one  out,  and  then  if  he  is  not  near,  give 
three  good  sharp  whistles  which  you  ought  to 
keep  as  your  signal  for  him  to  come.     If  you 


76  HUNTING   D0G9. 

train  your  pup  to  a  regular  code  of  whistles,  he 
will  know  what  you  want.  So  here  is  a  good 
code,  which  if  kept  in  rule,  will  become  very 
handy.  When  you  have  scared  up  game  let  three 
sharp  whistles  be  the  calling ;  if  you  only  want 
him  to  come  to  go  another  way,  give  three  long 
ones.  Motion  your  hand  in  what  direction  3  ou 
want  to  go  and  he  will  soon  learn  to  understand. 

I  have  often  let  the  dog  decide  the  way  to 
go.  Now  to  go  back  to  the  old  subject,  when  he 
comes  you  must  be  all  excited  and  showing  him 
that  you  are  greatly  in  need  of  him.  Then  show 
him  three  of  four  places  where  the  rabbit  hopped ; 
when  he  gets  a  start  you  go  and  stand  where  you 
most  think  he  will  come  around,  but  again  I 
warn  you  never  to  jump  and  run  aAvay  while 
your  pup  is  near  enough  to  see  or  even  hear  you, 
for  if  you  do,  he  will  leave  the  track  and  follow 
you.  Also,  you  will  do  a  fine  piece  of  work  to 
shoot  the  first  rabbit  he  brings  around. 

Now  when  you  shoot  the  game,  pick  it  up 
and  wait  until  your  dog  comes,  then  show  it  to 
him,  but  never  let  him  eat  one,  for  if  you  only 
cripple  one  he  will  catch  and  eat  it.  Teach  him 
in  the  start  to  hold  game  until  you  come  to  him. 
Now  to  get  him  to  start  to  hunt  another  rabbit 
may  be  your  trouble.  He  may  want  to  stay  with 
you  and  try  to  steal  your  rabbit.  The  best  way 
to  start  him  out  is  to  start  walking  through  the 
brush  and  stamping  on  brush  jiiles,  at  the  same 


TRAINING  FOR  SQUIRRELS  AND  RABBITS.        77 

time  telling  him  to  ''hunt  'em  up/'  Keep  a 
l-iece  away  from  him  and  he  will  soon  start  to 
hunt  again.  Now  if  he  runs  one  into  a  den, 
what  should  you  do?  Dig  'im  out  and  be  a 
''Johnny-dig-'em-out"  or  let  him  go. 

Better  examine  the  first  den,  and  if  not  over 
2  or  3  feet  deep  and  only  a  small  hole,  you  may 
dig  it  out,  if  it  is  one  of  your  dog's  first  hunts, 
but  don't  dig  very  big  dens,  for  by  the  time  you 
dig  one  out,  you  may  get  a  shot  at  another.  The 
way  to  get  your  pup  away  from  a  den  is  to  look 
the  situation  over  and  then  give  up,  telling  him 
to  give  it  up;  we  can't  get  it;  he  will  soon  come 
away. 

There  are  other  things  to  be  careful  of;  first 
you  should  never  hurry  your  dog;  walk  slow 
and  when  he  gets  used  to  hunting  let  him  scare 
up  the  most  of  the  game  or  he  will  get  lazy  and 
want  you  to  be  the  dog.  Never  whip  your  dog 
for  a  mistake,  or  you  may  spoil  him.  Then  when 
you  come  home  you  may  give  him  the  rabbit 
heads.  Let  him  in  the  house,  and  when  you  eat 
your  rabbit,  give  him  all  the  bones.  This  will 
teach  him  why  and  for  Athat  you  take  your  game 
home.  One  great  thing  is,  if  your  dog  scares  up 
game  and  is  following  on  the  trail,  don't  change 
your  standing  place  too  often;  judge  the  point 
where  the  game  will  come  around  and  stay  there 
until  it  does  come. 

Some   fellows   will    run,   jump   and   halloo 


78 


HUNTING   DOGS 


after  his  dog  while  running  a  rabbit;  there  is 
where  yon  spoil  him,  for  you  must  be  cool  in 
mind.  Then  when  your  dog  is  running  a  rabbit 
and  night  is  coming  on,  don't  go  home  until  your 
dog  comes  to  you,  or  right  there  is  Avhere  your 
dog  will  be  discouraged.  So  when  the  day's 
hunt  is  over  you  can  go  home  with  your  dog  by 
your  side. 

Wliile  you  are  showing  him  what  good  he 
did  for  you,  if  lie  is  wet  and  cold  call  him  near 
the  stoA^e  and  dry  him.  For  if  a  dog  must  lay 
outside  all  wet,  he  will  soon  become  stiff  in  his 
limbs,  and  rheumatism  will  be  seen  at  an  early 
age.  Always  after  the  day's  hunt,  give  him  all 
he  wants  to  eat.  Don't  have  him  too  fat  in  hunt- 
ing season,  because  he  will  tire  out  too  easily. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

TRAINING    THE    DEER    HOUND. 

ON  all  things  there  is  a  main  point,  also 
certain  rules  which  should  never  be  for- 
gotten in  training  hounds,  especially  the 
age  and  the  way  to  train  them.  My  ex- 
perience has  taught  me  that  it  is  a  big  mistake  to 
allovr  a  young  deer  hound  to  go  in  the  woods 
before  he  is  12  to  15  months  old,''  says  a  Cana- 
dian hunter. 

At  a  year  old  a  hound  should  know  how  to 
lead  well,  that  is  not  to  pull  on  the  chain  for  all 
he  is  worth  ahead  of  his  master  but  to  follow 
behind  him  through  every  place  he  iDasses,  if  be- 
tween, under  or  over  logs  as  well  as  fences,  to 
follow  exactly  the  same  trail  as  his  master.  A 
dog  or  a  pair  coupled  together,  so  trained,  can 
be  easily  led  in  any  bush  without  any  bother 
whatever.  It  is  not  at  all  necessary  that  a  dog 
should  lead  in  front  of  his  master  to  find  a  trail. 
A  dog  with  a  keen  nose  can  pick  a  trail  from  the 
air  several  yards  before  reaching  it.  He  will 
then  pull  you  in  the  direction  of  the  same  and  if 
the  scent  is  fresh,  he  will  be  anxious  to  follow  it, 
then  if  the  hunter  is  a  man  who  understands  his 

80 


TRAINING  THE  DEER  HOUND. 


81 


business,  lie  will  examine  the  track  by  foUowino^ 
it  100  yards  or  so  and  if  suitable  and  going  (if 
it  is  a  deer)  in  the  right  direction  and  if  the  wind 
is  also  right,  Avill  then  allow  his  hound  to  go. 

A  dog  which  knows  his  business  will  not 
open  the  minute  he  gets  the  scent  but  will  cover 
the  ground  fast  and  save  his  steam  until  he  has 
jumped  the  deer  or  fox,  then  open  his  value  and 


The  Deer  Seeks  Refuge  in  Deep  Water. 

if  he  is  a  flyer  he  Avill  water  more  deer  in  five 
hours  than  another  Avhich  gives  tongue  as  soon  as 
he  takes  the  scent  in  five  days  for  the  reason  that 
a  dog  which  opens  the  very  instant  he  finds  a 
trail  will  have  to  cover  20  times  more  ground  to 
bring  his  deer  to  water,  than  the  one  which  does 
not. 

A  hound  should  not  be  gun  or  water  shy 
but  should  be  shy  of  strangers,  traps  and  of  poi- 


82  HUNTING   D0G9. 

sonecl  baits.  He  should  know  how  to  swim  across 
a  river  or  lake  and  where  to  land.  He  should 
have  but  one  master  and  obey  him  to  the  word 
and  this  without  the  use  of  the  whip.  He  should 
know  how  to  ride  in  a  canoe.  All  this  can  be 
taught  to  him  in  about  3  months  and  he  should 
know  all  these  things  before  he  is  broken  to  hunt. 

The  next  thing  is  to  accustom  your  dog  to 
the  gun.  This  is  easily  done.  All  you  have  to 
do  is  to  take  your  gun  and  dog  into  a  field  and 
once  there  to  tie  jour  dog  ssly  five  or  six  feet 
from  you,  then  to  shoot  the  gun  and  after  every 
shot  to  speak  kindly  to  your  dog  and  make  him 
smell  the  gun.  In  a  day  or  so  repeat  as  before 
and  the  moment  you  see  that  your  dog  is  not 
afraid  let  him  loose  and  shoot  again  and  always 
pet  him.  He  will  then  know  what  a  gun  is.  So 
when  your  j^oung  hound  knows  the  gun,  the 
canoe  and  water,  he  may  be  taught  to  be  shy  of 
strangers,  traps  and  of  poisoned  baits. 

To  break  a  dog  to  hunt,  you  must  not  allow 
him  to  go  in  the  bush  Avhenever  he  likes.  A  dog 
that  hunts  without  being  in  the  company  of  his 
master  will  never  be  a  well  trained  dog.  There- 
fore, you  must  lead  him  in  the  bush  and  if  you 
have  a  well  trained  dog,  you  may  couple  him 
with  the  young  one  and  walk  until  you  find  a 
good  trail  then  follow  it  with  the  dogs  till  you 
see  that  the  young  one  has  caught  scent  right, 


TRAINING  THE  DEER  HOUND.  83 

then  let  go  the  young  hoimd  first  and  the  "old 
timer"  last.  If  the  hound  comes  from  hunting 
stock,  he  will  hang  to  the  trail  with  the  other 
dog  and  he  will  only  turn  up  with  him  but  for 
some  reason  or  another,  should  the  young  hound 
come  back  to  you,  "don't  get  mad  and  kick  or 
beat  him.''  No,  this  is  a  great  error  and  many 
are  the  dogs  which  haye  been  spoiled  that  wa3\ 
Instead  of  beating,  speak  kindly  to  him  and  pet 
him  a  few  seconds  and  keep  moying  towards 
Ayhere  the  chase  is  going. 

Don't  excite  your  dog,  pay  no  attention  to 
him.  If  lie  wants  to  follow  you  at  your  heels, 
let  him  do  so  and  once  you  reach  a  place  where 
likely  the  other  dog  is  going  to  pass,  stay  there 
and  when  the  old  dog  comes  along,  the  young  one 
will  again  join  and  may  stay  this  time  with  him, 
as  the  scent  will  be  hot  and  the  chances  are  ten 
to  one  that  the  young  hound  will  take  a  hand  in 
the  music.  But  if  after  ten,  or  twenty  minutes, 
he  should  again  return,  treat  him  as  before.  Be 
always  kind  to  him.  If  you  haye  no  old  dog  to 
train  your  young  one,  go  with  your  dog  and  show 
him  the  game  you  want  him  to  hunt,  lead  him 
until  you  kill  one,  then  blood  him.  The  blooding 
is  the  "A,  B,  C"  of  training.  Allow  him  to  smell 
the  game  all  he  likes,  speak  kindly  to  him  eyen 
if  he  bites  the  game,  don't  kick  him  off  or  use  a 
stick  on  him,  as  I  haye  often  seen  done  by  some 


84  HUNTING   DOGS. 

fellows  who  pretend  that  to  teach  a  hound  you 
must  abuse  him.  If  you  want  a  foolish  doo:,  that 
is  the  way  to  use  him  but  if  you  desire  an  intelli- 
gent one,  you  must  encourage  him. 

After  a  dog  has  been  well  blooded  (the 
blooding  is  done  by  rubbing  the  hot  blood  of  the 
game  on  the  front  legs,  as  well  as  on  the  sides  of 
the  dog),  you  may  turn  him  loose  or  you  may 
lead  him  until  you  find  another  trail.  He  will  at 
once  be  anxious  to  follow.  Let  him  lead  for  a 
hundred  yards  and  once  you  are  sure  that  he  has 
the  scent  in  the  right  direction,  let  him  go  and 
if  that  hound  comes  from  trained  stock,  he  will 
run  that  scent  immediately  and  should  he  only 
be  away  for  fiye,  ten  or  more  minutes  and  come 
back  to  you,  speak  kindly  to  him  and  tell  him  to 
hunt.  Always  mention  his  name  and  keep  mov- 
ing in  the  direction  where  you  suppose  the  game 
is. 

It  is  a  good  thing  that  a  young  dog  backs  his 
own  tracks  at  first,  as  it  teaches  him  that  he  can 
find  you  when  he  likes  and  a  hound  that  does  this 
after  each  chase  will  never  get  lost  no  matter 
where  you  may  go.  In  deer  hunting,  it  has  many 
advantages  in  so  far,  that  when  you  are  several 
miles  from  camp,  after  your  dog  lias  a  start  you 
keep  moving  and  if  you  find  where  a  deer  has 
just  passed,  you  can  just  sit  there  and  wait  for 
the  return  of  the  dog  and  as  soon  as  he  returns, 


TRAINING  THE  DEER  HOUND.  85 

you  just  tie  him  and  allow  him  to  rest  for  fifteen 
or  twenty  minutes  and  then  you  start  him  again. 
I  have  often  had  two  and  sometimes  four  chases 
in  one  forenoon  and  this  without  bother.  Hounds 
thus  trained,  will  always  return  to  camp  every 


Well    Trained    Hounds. 

night  for  their  feed  and  will  be  ready  for  the 
next  day. 

Some  hunters  say  that  their  dogs  are  so 
good  that  when  they  turn  them  loose,  they  al- 
ways stay  away  for  three  or  four  days  and  they 
even  go  so  far  as  to  say,  that  they  hunt  night  and 
day  during  the  whole  time  they  are  away.    Well, 


86  HUNTING   DOGS. 

this  is  not  the  case  at  all.  The  reason  is  that 
they  will  chase  a  deer  or  fox  for  three  or  four 
hours  or  more  and  when  they  have  watered  the 
deer  or  holed  their  fox,  will  then  start  to  ramble 
around  and  start  after  another  and  after  water- 
ing their  second  deer,  they  will  be  so  far  away 
that  they  are  unable  to  find  their  way  back,  and 
they  will  walk  until  they  can  go  no  more.  They 
will  then  lie  down  for  a  long  time  and  walk 
around  and  howl  until  they  find  somebody's 
trail,  which  they  will  follovr  to  the  end  or  until 
they  land  at  a  settler's  house  or  at  some  shanty 
and  will  remain  there. 

Now  how  many  dogs  like  these  will  a  party 
of  ten  or  twelve  men  require  to  hunt,  during  ten 
or  fifteen  days  in  a  strange  country?  When  a 
hound  has  been  away  three  or  four  days,  is  he 
in  condition  to  run  the  next  day  after  his  re- 
turn? Xo,  it  will  take  him  as  many  days  to 
recover  and  often  he  will  be  of  no  use  for  the 
remainder  of  the  hunt. 

Dogs  like  these  may  suit  men  living  in  the 
country  where  there  is  game.  Their  dogs  after 
haying  been  lost  several  times  Avill,  through  time, 
know  the  lay  of  the  country  and  be  fairly  good 
dogs  at  home,  but  take  these  hounds  in  a  strange 
country,  of  wliat  use  and  how  many  will  a  hunt- 
ing party  require  to  hunt  every  day  of  their  out- 
ing?   Well,  they  will  require  a  car-load  and  be- 


TRAINING  THE  DEER  HOUND.  87 

&ides  several  men  to  hunt  the  dogs.  Such  dogs  as 
these  don't  stay  with  me,  as  I  consider  them  a 
nuisance,  especially  for  city  sportsmen,  who  are 
so  busy  during  the  whole  year  that  they  can  only 
take  a  few  weeks  holiday  every  year,  they  require 
a  strain  of  hounds  on  v>hich  they  can  depend 
every  day  of  their  hunt.  I  v^^ant  a  dog  to  be  a 
flyer  and  to  back  track  after  every  chase  and  to 
find  me  in  the  bush  and  not  make  for  camp  after 
hi-s  chase  or  wait  at  the  shore  until  some  ^Mohnny 
Sneakum"  comes  along  with  his  canoe  and  says, 
''Get  in  Jack/'  and  that  Jack  is  only  too  glad 
to  jump  in  and  tlie  next  thing  is  that  you  don't 
see  Jack  for  the  balance  of  the  season,  but  you 
will  learn  later  on  that  Jack  has  been  half 
starved  that  it  will  cost  you  $5.00  to  |10.00  for 
the  board  if  you  desire  to  get  Jack. 

I  will  say  here  that  I  owe  my  life  to  two  of 
my  hounds.  I  was  lost  once  in  the  woods  in  a 
blinding  snow  storm.  This  was  in  Western  On- 
tario amongst  a  range  of  sappy  pine  hills.  I  was 
about  five  miles  from  camp.  In  the  morning 
when  I  left  the  weather  Avas  very  fine  but  it 
soon  started  to  snow  and  the  storm  lasted  until 
about  f)  P.  M.  I  was  soaking  wet  and  I  had  left 
my  compass  at  camp,  my  matches  were  all  wet 
and  I  slept  in  the  bush.  At  10  A.  M.  I  had 
started  my  two  hounds  and  about  11  A.  M.  they 
came  back  to  me.     It  was  just  commencing  to 


88  HUNTING   DOGS. 

snow  heavily  but  thinking  it  would  not  last  long, 
I  made  for  another  hill  where  I  was  aware,  if 
any  deer  started  from  there  it  was  a  sure  run 
for  our  men,  so  I  arrived  there  in  due  time  and 
got  a  start.  It  was  still  snoAving  very  heavily. 
I  then  pointed  for  home.  I  had  about  five  miles 
more  to  reach  our  camp  when  I  came  to  a  place 
where  a  deer  had  just  left  his  nest,  so  I  thought 
that  I  could  get  a  shot  at  him  but  after  having 
followed  him  for  about  an  hour,  I  gave  him  up 
and  I  tried  to  make  for  camp. 

Well,  instead  of  making  for  camp,  I  made  a 
circle  and  came  back  to  the  same  place  where 
I  had  left  the  deer's  track.  It  was  4  P.  M.,  when 
my  dogs  came  back  to  me.  I  knew  then  that  I 
was  completely  turned  so  I  decided  to  spend  the 
night  right  there.  I  looked  for  a  sheltered  place 
and  after  removing  all  the  snow  I  could  I  lay 
doAvn  with  my  back  against  a  big  flat  stone  and 
with  my  two  dogs  lying  near  me.  We  were  quite 
comfortable  and  early  in  the  morning,  I  pointed 
for  camp.  Now  if  these  dogs  had  not  returned 
to  me,  I  really  believe  that  I  would  not  be  able 
to  write  this,  as  their  heat  preserved  me  from 
freezing  to  death. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

TRAINING  — •  SPECIFIC    THINGS   TO   TEACH. 

CO  teach  the  dog  to  bark  treed,  it  is  best, 
of  course,  to  take  him  out  with  an  old 
dog",  but  if  you  have  no  old  dog,  you  can 
train  him  without  one.  This  can  be  done 
by  catching  a  live  ground  hog,  'coon  or  opossum. 
Take  the  animal  jou  have  to  some  small  tree,  a 
dogwood  for  instance,  and  let  it  climb  from  the 
ground  up.  It  would  be  better  if  you  could 
lead  it  or  even  drag  it  a  short  distance  —  ten 
feet,  say,  at  first,  to  a  tree. 

Don't  let  your  dog  look  on  while  doing  this. 
After  you  have  your  animal  treed,  get  your  dog 
and  bring  him  to  the  tree  and  give  him  the  scent 
on  the  ground.  If  he  is  new  at  the  business,  he 
will  not  likely  look  up  the  tree,  but  will  hunt 
for  trail.  If  he  finds  where  the  animal  is  him- 
self, try  to  get  him  to  bark,  but  if  he  doesn't 
find  it,  then  show  him.  Try  to  make  him  bark. 
That  is  one  of  the  objects  at  this  point  as  well 
as  to  find  where  the  animal  is. 

Have  your  gun  along,  and  as  soon  as  you 
get  your  dog  to  bark,  shoot  into  the  air  and  at 
the  same  time,  pull  the  animal  out  of  the  tree 

89 


90  HUNTING    DOGS. 

bj  the  string  bj  which  he  is  tied.  But  what- 
ever you  do,  don't  let  the  animal  get  the  best 
of  your  young  dog  or  you  will  have  a  spoiled 


Good  Friends   Get  Along   Best. 

dog.  I  always  liked  a  possum  for  this  work 
because  they  are  eas}^  to  handle  and  don't  tight 
your  dog. 


SPECIFIC  THINGS  TO  TEACH.  91 

You  must  remember  that,  at  this  point,  you 
are  not  training*  your  dog  to  fight.  The  object 
is  first  to  find  Avliere  the  animal  goes  and  second 
to  get  your  dog  to  ''bark  up."  Continue  this 
practice  for  some  time ;  then  put  your  animal  in 
a  larger  tree  out  of  sight  but  don't  put  in  the 
same  tree  each  time,  iifter  you  have  your  dog 
trained  so  he  will  trail  and  bark  up  in  the  man- 
ner just  described,  the  chances  are  that  he  will 
tree  'coon,  if  he  gets  a  fresh  trail.  Of  course, 
he  will  not  be  a  good  'coon  dog  at  once;  that 
comes  by  experience. 

Xext  to  a  good  dog  in  the  'coon  hunting 
business,  is  a  good  gun  and  lantern.  Don't  try 
to  iiunt  'coon  with  a  common  open  lantern.  A 
good  kind  cf  lantern  to  find  their  eyes  with  is  a 
dark  or  police  lantern,  as  you  don't  have  to  put 
them  on  your  head  to  find  their  eyes.  But  what- 
ever kind  you  use,  have  one  with  a  good  bulls- 
eye  and  a  reflector.  Use  a  good  shot  gun.  I 
generally  use  No.  2  shot. 

Having  prepared  ourselves  with  a  good  dog, 
gun  and  lantern,  we  are  now  ready  for  business. 
We  will  go  out  first  on  a  cloudy  night.  We  will 
go  into  the  woods  and  walk  sIoavI^^,  giving  the 
dog  plenty  of  time  to  hunt  and  if  we  don't  see 
him  pretty  soon,  we  will  sit  down  on  a  log  and 
wait  a  while. 

Don't  go  thru  the  woods  as  if  some  one  were 


92  HUNTING    DOGS. 

after  you  or  as  if  you  were  in  a  hurry  and  then 
call  your  dog  as  soon  as  you  get  thru  the  woods. 
You  will  neyer  haye  a  good  x-oon  dog  if  you  do 
so,  especiall}^  if  he  is  new  at  the  business.  If 
3'ou  want  a  dog  that  will  stay  by  the  trail,  you 
want  to  stay  with  him.  If  you  use  your  dog 
properh%  that  is,  if  you  hunt  slow  and  sit  down 
on  a  log  or  wait  for  your  dog  until  he  comes  in 
and  then  moye  on  as  soon  as  he  does  come  in, 
you  will  find  that  your  dog  will  soon  "catch  on" 
to  this  and  will  always  come  in  as  soon  as  he 
has  a  woods  or  a  portion  of  a  woods  hunted  oyer, 
unless  he  ''trees." 

Another  brother  offers  the  following  sug- 
gestions :  ''Let  me  giye  you  a  few  pointers  in 
regard  to  breaking  them  to  hunt  'coon.  When 
the  pup  is  fiye  or  six  months  old,  teach  him  to 
speak  or  bark  by  holding  up  a  piece  of  meat 
or  bread,  and  when  you  get  him  so  he  will  bark, 
take  him  into  the  woods  where  there  are  squir- 
rels. Be  sure  and  take  your  gun  along  and 
chase  eyery  squirrel  or  cat  up  a  tree  and  shoot 
the  squirrel.  Be  sure  and  make  the  dog  help 
to  chase  the  squirrel  then  skin  the  squirrel. 
Cut  it  up  in  small  pieces  and  feed  it  to  your 
dog.  Do  this  as  often  as  possible  and  you  will 
be  surprised  how  quickly  he  will  learn.  Com- 
mence early  in  the  fall  to  hunt  'coon,  and  keep 
away  as  much  as  possible  from  the  haunts  of 


SPECIFIC  THINGS  TO  TEACH.  93 

the  rabbit  with  your  dog,  but  if  he  gets  after  a 
rabbit,  get  him  off  as  soon  as  possible  and  scold 
him.  I  wouldn't  advise  anyone  to  hunt  rabbits 
with  dog  until  thoroughly  broken  to  hunt 
'coon.'' 

TEACHING   THE   DOG    HOW    TO   SWIM. 

As  for  swimming,  we  are  aware  that  all 
dogs  when  thrown  in  the  water  can  swim,  but 
the  question  is,  will  they  swim  right  and  take 
to  water  at  once.  I  say  no,  they  all  need  train- 
ing before  they  will  take  to  water  when  told, 
swim  and  float  right  and  remain  in  the  water 
for  hours  when  necessary,  and  also  return  game 
from  water  when  required  whether  it  be  for  fur 
or  feathers. 

To  teach  a  dog  to  swim,  take  him  often  to 
a  nice  shore  and  let  Jiini  play  at  the  edge  of  the 
water  and  say  nothing  to  him.  After  jou  have 
done  this  during  three  or  four  days,  tie  him  and 
row  about  thirty  yards  from  shore.  Use  a  flat 
bottom  boat  or  a  good  safe  one  and  place  him 
gently  in  the  water,  hold  his  head  above  the 
water  till  he  floats,  then  row  to  the  shore.  He 
will  follow  and  as  soon  as  you  land,  get  out  of 
the  boat  and  call  him  to  the  shore.  This  will 
teach  him  to  land  because  should  you  stay  in 
the  boat,  he  will  try  to  get  in  the  boat  with 
you. 


94  HUNTING    DOGS. 

Now  allow  liim  to  play  for  five  or  ten 
minutes,  then  repeat  the  same  tactics  but  row  a 
little  further.  -Ifter  two  or  three  days  lessons 
such  as  these,  the  dog  will  take  the  water.  To 
make  him  do  this,  row  a  few  yards  from  the 
shore  and  call  him.  He  will  at  once  follow  you. 
Row  slowly  away  and  the  moment  you  see  he  is 
getting  tired,  pull  him  on  board  or  row  to  shore. 
Never  train  your  dog  to  swim  during  cold 
weather  but  when  it  is  warm  and  sunny.  A 
nice  sunny  morning  is  the  best  time  to  teach 
them  to  sv>'im.  Once  he  knows  how  to  swim 
right,  take  him  across  a  small  river  or  lake  and 
then  come  back  and  make  him  swim  back.  He 
will  then  never  be  afraid  of  v/ater. 

To  teach  a  hound  to  properly  ride  in  a 
canoe,  tie  him  and  have  a  whip  or  a  small  switch 
and  make  him  lie  doAvn.  Always  speak  to  him 
kindly.  ^Mention  the  dog's  name  and  say  lie 
down.  H  lie  does  not  obey,  Avhip  but  do  so  care- 
fully. "Avoid  whipping,"  because  there  has 
been  many  dogs  that  would  have  been  good 
hunters  that  have  been  completely  spoiled  by 
the  whip.  Ahvays  speak  to  your  dog,  then  give 
one  single  stroke;  if  he  does  not  obey  give 
anotlier  stroke  and  so  on  until  he  does  so.  As 
soon  as  he  lies  down,  you  can  allow  him  to  put 
up  his  head  and  look  above  the  boat  and  row 
across  the  river  or  lake.     Once  on  the  other 


SPECIFIC  THINGS  TO  TEACH.  $6 

side,  order  him  off  and  hold  your  rope  which 
must  be  a  long  one.  If  he  goes  to  jump,  give  him 
a  good  check  and  make  him  walk  off  easily. 
Once  he  is  landed,  hold  him  and  pet  him.  Stay 
there  five  minutes  or  so,  then  get  in  the  boat 
again,  hold  the  boat  and  order  your  dog  to  get 
in  the  boat.  I  use  the  word  ''Board."  Mention 
the  dog's  name  and  say  ''board"  and  to  order 
him  out,  say  "move." 

As  soon  as  the  dog  gets  in  the  boat  say,  "Lie 
down"  or  just  "down"  and  if  he  does  not  obey, 
show  him  the  whip  and  command  him,  then 
whip.  As  soon  as  he  is  down,  get  in  and  row 
a  few  hundred  yards  furtlier  and  repeat  the 
same  a  dozen  of  times.  The  moment  the  dog 
obeys,  you  must  pet  him  so  as  to  make  him 
understand  that  what  he  does  is  right.  If  you 
will  repeat  the  same  tactics  for  three  or  four 
days,  the  dog  will  soon  know  how  to  balance  him- 
self and  will  be  very  steady  —  you  will  never 
have  any  bother  with  him.  Thus  a  dog  trained 
to  water  and  canoe  is  a  very  handy  thing  for  you 
as  well  as  for  the  dog.  Should  you  have  no 
room  in  the  canoe,  he  will  swim.  If  you  have 
room,  just  for  him  he  will  be  as  safe  for  you  to 
take  on  board  as  a  stone.  A  pair  of  hounds  so 
trained  will  just  balance  3'Our  canoe  right.  It 
is  a  good  thing  to  put  some  hay,  straw  or  a 
bag  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat  or  canoe  for  the 


96  HUNTING   DOGS. 

dog  to  lie  down  on.    They  will  soon  know  their 
place  to  lay. 

A  QUICK  METHOD. 

Having  many  years  of  experience  in  the 
breeding  and  training  of  hounds  to  hunt  nearly 
all  kind  of  game,  a  Canadian  brother  hunter 
tells  how  to  train  dogs  for  'coon  when  he  has  no 
old  dog  to  teach  the  young  one. 

1st.  Set  a  trap  where  you  see  'coon  signs 
as  follows:  Take  the  skin  or  part  of  a  good 
sized  green  codfish,  tie  it  to  a  string  and  drag 
it  along  the  bank  of  a  creek  or  place  where  you 
see  their  signs,  to  the  place  you  wish  to  set 
your  trap. 

2nd.  Take  a  good  sized  stick  about  4  feet 
long,  drive  it  well  on  a  nice  flat  piece  of  land, 
then  tie  what  you  have  dragged  to  this  stick 
about  20  inches  from  the  ground.  Have  the 
bait  well  tied  so  that  Mr.  'Coon  will  have  a  hard 
job  to  pull  a  piece  off. 

3rd.  Take  three  No.  IJ  or  larger  size  steel 
traps,  but  not  very  stiff  spring,  set  them  8 
inches  from  the  stick  and  arrange  in  such  a  way 
as  to  form  a  triangle.  Have  the  chains  well 
secured  so  that  Mr.  'Coon  will  only  be  caught 
in  one  of  the  traps.  Dig  holes  for  four  traps 
and  cover  chain  and  traps  with  dry  grass  or 
leaves.    Be  careful  not  to  put  anything  to  inter- 


SPECIFIC  THINGS  TO  TEACH.  ^7 

fere  with  the  jaws  of  your  traps  and  make  things 
look  as  natural  as  possible.  Visit  your  traps 
the  next  morning  and  the  chances  will  be  that 
you  will  have  one  or  two  'coons  waiting  you.  I 
have  often  found  three  waiting  me  in  one  set- 
ting as  above.  When  you  have  a  coon  or  two, 
take  one  at  a  time  to  an  open  field  about  400 
3^ards  from  the  bush,  then  tie  a  long  clothes  line 
to  the  ring  of  the  chain  in  such  a  way  that  it 
will  not  slip  off.  At  the  other  end  of  the  line, 
tie  something  white,  and  allow  Mr.  'Coon  to 
make  for  the  bush.  Have  a  friend  with  you  that 
will  keep  an  eye  on  Mr.  'Coon.  Then  take  your 
dog  to  the  spot  in  tlie  field  where  the  coon 
started  from,  and  make  him  take  the  scent,  and 
once  he  has  it  in  the  right  direction  and  com- 
mences to  pull,  turn  him  loose  and  follow  him. 

If  the  hound  comes  from  good  stock,  he  will 
soon  find  Mr.  'Coon  and  will  bark  at  him. 
Encourage  him  and  have  your  friend  pull  on  the 
line  in  order  to  make  the  'coon  move.  The  dog 
will  then  catch  him;  after  the  hound  has 
pinched  the  'coon  a  couple  of  times,  throw  the 
line  over  a  branch  of  some  good  sized  tree  and 
help  the  'coon  to  climb.  Allow  the  dog  to  bark 
for  a  while.  Slioot  the  coon,  open  him  at  once 
and  blood  your  dog  well  by  rubbing  the  blood  on 
his  front  legs  and  over  his  body. 

If  you  have  another  coon,  repeat  the  same 

7 


98  HUNTING   DOGS. 

with  the  second  as  you  have  done  with  the  first, 
but  in  another  direction  of  the  field  and  bush. 
Always  allow  the  'coon  to  go  far  enough  so  that 
your  dog  will  not  see  him.  When  you  take  him 
where  the  coon  scent  is,  after  the  'coon  is  dead 
and  your  dog  well  blooded,  go  home  with  your 
dog  and  'coon.  Chain  your  dog  and  put  the 
'coon  near  him  for  three  or  four  hours  before 
skinning  and  while  doing  this,  have  your  dog 
near  you.  The  next  day,  take  your  dog  where 
'coons  are  moving  and  he  will  soon  have  one  for 
you.  Repeat  the  blooding  every  time  and  you 
will  soon  have  a  No.  1  'coon  dog. 


CHAPTER  X. 

TRAINING RANDOM  SUGGESTIONS  FROM   MANY 

SOURCES. 


S 


UMMING  up  we  find  miicli  pointed  and 
valuable  information  relating  to  the 
training  of  dogs  omitted  thru  lack  of 
space.  From  this  we  present  a  chapter 
of  ^^nuggets''  in  paragraph  form,  Avhich  Avill  no 
doubt  prove  interesting  and  beneficial  to  those 
interested  in  training  hunting  dogs.  Here  are 
a  few  things  not  to  do : 

Don't  allow  jour  dogs  to  run  into  everj 
farmyard  as  you  pass  along  the  road. 

Don't  allow  them  to  be  used  with  which  to 
run  stock. 

Don't  let  them  get  into  the  habit  of  run- 
ning other  dogs. 

Don't  let  them  run  house-cats. 

Don't  teach  him  to  be  called  by  shooting. 

Don't,  when  out  hunting,  keep  urging  him 
all  the  time. 

Don't  let  eveiy  one  have  him  to  hunt  with 
or  he  will  soon  be  everybody's  dog. 

Don't  allow  them  to  come  into  the  house  and 
get  into  every  pan  and  kettle,  if  your  wife  is 
good-natured. 

iioo 


TRAINING  —  RANDOM  SUGGESTIONS^  ETC.      101 

Don't  correct  him  by  pulling  his  ears,  for 
a  fox  dog  needs  his  hearing. 

Don't  feed  but  twice  a  day,  and  don't  stint 
him  on  his  feed  before  starting  on  a  race. 

Don't  allow  him  to  run  loose  when  you  are 

not  using  him. 

*         *         * 

Did  vou  ever  try  using  a  sheep  bell  on  a 
still  trailer  on  windy,  stormy  nights?  It's  a  suc- 
bells  on  sheep  and  disregard  them  until  the  dog 
but  'coon  usually  become  accustomed  to  sheep 
bells  on  sheep  and  disregards  them  until  the  dog 
gets  too  close  for  them  to  escape.  Then,  Ayhere 
not  accustomed  to  the  bell,  their  curiosity  oyer- 
comes  their  fear.  The  best  pair  of  'coon  dogs 
I  eyer  owned  was  Sport,  a  fox  hound  and  collie, 
half  and  half,  a  slow  semi-mute  trailer,  and 
Simon,  a  full  blood  fox  terrier,  a  fast  mute 
trailer.  I  used  a  bell  on  Sport.  This  and  his 
occasional  barks  on  the  trail  kept  the  attention 
of  the  'coon  while  Simon  cut  across  lots  and  in- 
variably took  him  unawares. 

I  haye  learned  at  considerable  expense  that 
the  best  at  most  any  price  is  the  cheapest.  If 
you  want  a  good,  cheap  'coon  dog,  get  a  half 
pup  collie  and  half  fox  hound.  Never  give  him 
a  taste  of  nor  let  him  see  a  rabbit,  teach  him  a 
few  tricks  (to  make  him  pay  for  his  meals), 
such  as  jumping  oy^r  a  stick,  then  a  pole,  then 


102  HUNTING   DOGS. 

a  fence.  This  is  to  teach  him  to  obey  every 
word. 

Never  scold  or  whip  him,  2:ain  his  con- 
fidence, teach  him  to  speak  for  bits  of  meat  so 
when  the  time  comes  to  hunt  'coon  you  can  p;e': 
him  to  bark  up;  get  him  to  catch  and  carry  and 
he  will  often  catch  an  opossum  or  maybe  a  mink 
or  'coon  and  kill  it  when  away  from  you,  and 
if  you  teach  him  to  bring  everything  (rats,  wood- 
chucks)  home  to  you,  he  will  do  the  sime  in  the 
woods  after  night.  Never  let  him  get  whipped 
by  another  dog  or  woodchuck,  'coon  or  even  a 
big  rat.  Always  help  him  kill  or  whip  every- 
thing he  jumps  on  to  or  that  jumps  on  to  him. 
A  defeat  will  discourage  him. 

When  your  young  dog  is  ready  for  a  night 
hunt  in  the  woods  or  cornfield,  choose  the  best 
and  most  favorable  night  for  the  first  trip. 
Feed  no  meat  nor  milk  for  24  hours  previous  to 
the  first  or  any  subsequent  trip,  for  that  matter, 
for  the  best  dogs,  full  of  meat  or  milk,  cannot 
do  good  work  on  the  most  favorable  night.  Feed 
him  a  good  dinner  of  vegetables,  but  no  supper 
until  you  return  from  the  hunt,  then  give  liim 
anything.  Choose  a  dark  and  cloudy  night,  the 
darker  the  better,  not  too  still,  as  usually  on 
very  still  niglits  the  atmosphere  is  heavy  and 
smoke  settles  to  the  earth,  so  likewise  does  the 
scent  of  tlie  'coon  trail,  and  many  a  fine  dog  has 


TRAINING  —  RANDOM  SUGGESTIONS,  ETC.      103 

been  condemned  for  failing  to  locate  his  'coon 

when  started  under  such  a  condition  as  this. 

*  *  ^f 

Do  not  return  home  and  leave  your  hounds 
in  the  woods,  rather  walk  a  mile  or  two  to  catch 
them  and  they  will  1)6  in  better  shape  to  hunt  the 
next  day  than  if  you  had  allowed  them  to  run 

all  night. 

*  *  * 

I  notice  so  many  of  the  boys  in  telling  of 
their  'coon  hunting  say  when  Old  Jack  or 
Trailer,  or  whatever  his  name  might  be,  strikes 
a  trail  they  follow  him  as  fast  as  they  can  run 
until  out  of  wind,  then  as  soon  as  he  barks 
treed,  they  go  to  him  on  the  double  quick,  over 
logs,  brush,  barb  wire  fences,  thru  brier  patches, 
swamps  and  so  on.  Now,  this  may  be  all  right, 
I  am  not  condemning  any  one  else's  method  of 
hunting,  but  just  want  to  exchange  ideas.  When 
my  dog  strikes  a  trail  or  I  have  reason  to  think 
there  is  anything  doing,  I  just  wait  right  where 
I  am  until  they  tree  or  come  back  to  me.  If  they 
bark  treed,  I  just  take  my  time  and  if  I  know 
of  a  way  around  that  will  save  going  thru  some 
thicket  or  up  some  very  steep  hill,  I  just  go 
around  and  save  those  hardships.  And  another 
thing  I  never  do  is  whoop  and  hallo  at  my  dogs 
when  they  are  working.  I  think  that  has  spoiled 
many  a  good  dog,  and  never  run  to  a  dog  as  soon 


104  HUNTING   DOGS^. 

as  he  barks  up,  but  give  him  time  to  think  it 
over  and  circle  the  tree  a  few  times ;  then,  when 
he  settles  down  again  you  can  go  to  him  and  de- 
pend upon  the  'coon  being  there. 


PART  II. 


BREEDING  AND  CARE.  OF 
DOGS. 


105 


f 

3 

• 

^^H 

,  ] 

CHAPTER  XI. 

SELECTING  THE  DOG. 

DIFFERENT  hunters  have  difeerent  ideas 
as  to  the  style  of  dog  best  suited  to  their 
purposes.  AVe  can  only  approach  the 
subject,  by  giving  views  of  experienced 
breeders,  and  tlie  reader  may  choose  as  he  is  in- 
clined. 

From  a  Canadian  Hunter  comes  the  follow- 
ing: 

This  question  of  the  right  kind  of  dogs  to 
select  is  a  matter  on  which  many  sportsmen  dif- 
fer in  opinion.  Some  prefer  the  small,  some  the 
medium  and  others  the  large  hound.  For  me  I 
like  a  hound  to  be  from  24  to  27  inches  high  at 
the  shoulder  and  well  put  together,  with  a  lot  of 
bones,  straight  front  legs  vrith  strong  and  com- 
pact feet,  "but  not  too  large"  with  good  strong 
nails  well  set  in,  the  body  to  be  long  and  not 
short  of  flank  with  a  wide  chest  and  a  moderate 
deep  chest  and  witli  a  strong  broad  back,  hind 
legs  Avith  the  right  kind  of  bend,  that  is  neither 
straight  or  too  much  curved  in,  with  well  fur- 
nislied  thighs. 

Dogs  with  straight  hind  legs  cannot  run  and 
107 


X 


108  HUNTING    DOGS. 

jump  over  logs  and  fences  with  the  same  ease  as 
those  haying  a  marked  bend.  These  dogs  can 
buckle  and  unbuckle  with  more  quickness  and 
power,  such  as  is  required  in  the  gallop  than 
dogs  having  a  round  barrel  shaped  chest,  with 
both  the  front  and  hind  legs  straight.  Dogs  hav- 
ing a  nearly  round  chest  cannot  stand  any  length 
of  hard  running,  such  as  those  having  a  narrow 
chest  because  a  dog  with  a  moderate  deep  and 
narrow  chest  has  better  wind  as  he  is  able  to 
alter  the  cubic  contents  of  his  chest  more  rapidly 
and  thus  inhale  and  expire  a  larger  volume  of 
air.  Therefore,  a  dog  with  a  deep  or  flat  chest 
will  always  have  a  greater  speed  than  one 
with  a  round  one.  This  is  a  well  known  fact  in 
all  animals  remarkable  for  their  speed,  such  as 
deer,  wolf  and  greyhound. 

I  like  dogs  with  good  muscular  thighs  with 
a  fine  long  tapering  and  graceful  wavering  stern, 
ears  to  be  well  set  and  not  too  long  and  not  thick 
and  slabby,  neck  to  be  long  and  well  set  between 
the  shoulders,  the  head  and  muzzle,  this  is  only 
a  matter  of  taste.  Those  I  prefer  are  those  hav- 
ing a  long  and  narrow  forehead  and  a  fairly 
square  muzzle,  ears  from  7  to  9  inches  long,  lips 
loose  but  not  hanging  low,  throat  loose  and 
roomy  in  the  skin  and  a  good  coat  of  hair  so  they 
can  stand  cold  and  water,  and  with  a  good  loud 
tongue  and  keen  nose.    The  color  has  nothing  to 


Selecting  the  dog.  109 

do,  the  main  point  is  the  staying  quality,  the 
speed,  scent  and  endurance;  the  intelligence 
and  the  particular  style  of  ranging  or  beating 
the  ground  for  trail  as  well  as  to  run  it  once 
found,  with  great  speed. 

Some  say  a  fine  looking  hound  should  be  a 
good  hunter.  Well,  any  hunter  of  experience  in 
the  handling  of  hounds  is  fully  aware  that  it  is 
not  always  the  dog  which  carries  the  prizes  at 
the  shows  that  is  the  best  dog  in  the  field.  The 
same  thing  exists  with  the  horse.  Some  people 
claim  that  it  all  depends  on  the  breeding,  others 
on  the  training.  The  fact  is  that  both  are  re- 
quired as  well  as  the  right  shape  the  dog  should 

have  to  be  able  to  stand  hard  work  day  after  day. 
*     *     * 

The  most  essential  thing  to  the  value  and 
working  capabilities  of  fox  hounds  is  purity  of 
blood,  declares  another.  Too  much  care,  there- 
fore, cannot  be  taken  in  selecting  and  breeding 
fox  hounds.  Hounds  for  running  the  red  fox 
should  be  selected  from  the  best  possible  blood 
that  can  be  obtained.  I  like  a  hound  with  a  long 
clear  voice  —  one  that  can  be  heard  at  least  two 
miles  away  on  an  ordinary  calm  day  —  and  one 
that  gives  tongue  freely  when  running  and  trail- 
ing but  not  one  that  gives  tongue  when  he  has 
run  over  the  trail  and  lost  scent. 


110  HUNTING   DOGS. 

In  selecting  a  night  hunting  dog  I  prefer 
one  that  is  three-quarters  or  at  least  one-half  fox 
hound.  The  reason  is,  the  fox  hound  has  a 
good  nose,  also  a  good  voice  and  speed.  While 
I  do  not  condemn  a  dog  that  is  bred  in  an^^  other 
way,  I  prefer  one  bred  as  I  have  stated  for  the 
reasons  given  above. 

Some  prefer  a  dog  that  is  part  beagle,  but  if 
any  reader  of  this  book  has  ever  tried  to  train 
a  doo'  with  oood  beadle  blood  in  his  veins  to  hunt 
coon,  he  has  been  up  against  the  real  thing.  The 
trouble  is,  the  beagle  has  it  bred  right  in  him  to 
run  rabbits,  and  blood  will  tell.  The  only  point 
in  favor  of  the  beagle  is  his  nose.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  the  bird  dog  the  beagle  has  the  finest 
scent  of  the  whole  dog  family.  I  know  this  to  be 
true  by  observation.  A  fox  gives  off  more  scent 
than  a  rabbit,  so  does  a  coon  and  all  the  other 
animals. 

During  the  "nesting  season"  birds  give 
scarcely  any.  This  is  a  wise  provision  of  Nature 
to  protect  them  from  their  enemies  during  this 
important  period. 

One  day  I  saw  a  fine  English  setter  almost 
step  on  a  grouse  that  was  sitting  on  her  nest. 
He  never  scented  her  until  she  went  whirling 
out  the  ridge  right  in  front  of  his  nose.  That 
dog's  actions  told  more  plainly  than  words  could 
have  done,  how  deeply  he  regretted  the  incident. 


SELECTING  THE   DOG.  Ill 

I  have  also  seen  a  beagle  run  a  rabbit  after  a 
heavy  rain,  the  rabbit,  to  my  knowledge,  having 

run  before  the  rain  fell. 

*  *     * 

Many  writers  say  that  a  dog's  pedigree  and 
his  being  registered,  does  not  amount  to  the  pa- 
per it  is  written  on.  Now  I  do  not  wish  to  criti- 
cise any  of  my  brother  sportmen,,  but  I  think  it 
is  the  only  way  to  know  if  one's  dog  is  well  bred, 
and  to  have  a  well  bred  dog  means  much  less 
trouble  in  training  him.  Do  not  get  discouraged 
if  your  dog  does  not  train  as  easily  as  he  should, 
and  always  remember  that  much  depends  upon 
you.  Stay  with  your  dog  if  you  want  him  to  be 
a  good  sticker.  Many  a  dog  has  been  spoiled  by 
leaving  him  to  run  for  nothing. 

In  selecting  a  dog  to  hunt  all  kinds  of  game, 
get  a  good  bred  hound.  I  have  no  use  for  mon- 
grels or  curs.  They  are  dear  at  any  price.  Get 
a  thick,  hard,  round-footed,  long  ears  coming  out 
of  head  low  down,  well  developed  chest,  short- 
ish tail,  large  at  root  or  next  to  body,  long  from 
hip  to  gamble  joint,  with  broad  strong  back,  wide 
nostrils  and  long  pendant  lip.  Now  this  is  my 
idea  of  a  good  all  around  hunting  dog.  I  don't 
expect  you  to  find  all  of  these  qualifications  in 

any  one  dog. 

*  *     * 

Have  decided  that  for  niy  use,  a  full  blooded 


112  HUNTING   DOGS. 

hound.  That  is  a  good,  fast  and  reliable  trailer, 
one  that  will  stay  with  the  trail,  cold  or  hot,  and 
never  think  of  giving  up  until  asked  to.  One 
that  will  bark  treed  on  a  cold  trail  just  the  same 
as  if  he  had  run  him  up  a  sight  chase.  One  that 
should  he  in  cold  trailing  run  across  a  hot  trail 
and  tree,  will  after  catching  go  and  take  up  cold 
trail  again  and  tree. 

*     *     » 

When  it  comes  to  large  hounds  for  coon, 
fox,  etc.,  a  cross  of  the  right  kind  of  American 
fox  hounds  and  the  right  kind  of  blood  hounds 
fills  the  bill  to  perfection.  The  blood  hound  has 
the  keenest  scent  of  any  dog  living.  The  Ameri- 
can fox  hound  has  the  speed.  If  a  man  has  a 
combination  of  the  two  he  is  starting  on  the 
right  trail.  I  prefer  a  fox  hound  bitch  bred  to 
bloodhound  dog.  How  many  ever  saw  a  thor- 
oughbred bloodhound?  They  are  a  heavy  built 
hound,  medium  size  hea^w  head,  long  ears, 
square  deep  muzzle,  with  heavy  rolls  of  wrinkles 
on  head  just  over  the  eyes,  which  gives  him  a 
surly  look.  I  have  seen  what  were  called  and 
sold  for  bloodliounds  to  a  sheriff  to  trail  man. 
They  would  trail  fairly  well,  but  they  came  a 
long  ways  from  being  thoroughbred  blood- 
hounds. Any  hound  trained  when  young  can  be 
taught  to  trail  man  or  beast. 

Hunters  differ  as  to  the  kind  of  dog  to  use 


SELECTING  THE   DOG.  113 

for  coon  hunting.  The  best  coon  dog  I  ever  had 
(and  I've  had  a  good  many)  was  a  half  Scotch 
terrier  and  I  don't  know  what  the  other  half 
was.  He  was  black  and  white  spotted  with  curly 
hair  and  weighed  bnt  thirty-two  pounds. 

Some  hunters  j)refer  the  shepherd  dog  and 
again  some  would  hunt  Avith  nothing  else  but  a 
hound.  I  don't  know  as  it  makes  much  differ- 
ence what  kind  of  a  dog  one  uses,  just  so  it  is 
one  of  the  hunting  kind,  a  good  trailer  and  thor- 
oughly well  trained.  Of  course,  not  every  dog, 
even  of  the  hunting  kind,  will  make  a  good  coon 

dog;  about  the  only  way  to  tell  is  to  try. 

*     *     * 

As  to  picking  a  pup  for  a  coon  hound,  it  is 
very  hard  to  do,  but  I  want  a  full  bloodhound, 
one  that  tongues  on  trail  and  a  free  barker  at 
tree.  I  want  the  old  style  hound,  as  the  modern 
fox  hounds  are  too  nervous  for  good  coon  hounds, 
although  you  may  get  one  once  in  a  while  that 
will  work  a  cold  trail  very  well. 

A  cross  between  the  old  style,  long  eared 
hound  and  the  fast  trailing  hound  with  large, 
heavy  shoulders,  deep  chest,  a  large  fore  leg, 
large  broad  head,  long  ears,  rather  short  coupled 
back,  slightly  roached  back,  with  a  good  square 
nose,  rather  large  neck,  set  well  down  in  the 
shoulders.  While  this  is  my  kind  of  hound  for 
coon,  do  not  understand  me  to  say  that  I  want 

8 


114  HUNTING   DOGS. 

an  extra  slow  trailer,  for  I  do  not,  but  I  want 
him  to  be  steady,  and  when  he  has  a  trail  he  can 
work  it  fast.  This  is  my  kind  of  a  dog  for  coon, 
but  he  would  not  be  in  it  with  an  up  to  date  fox 
hound  on  a  fox  chase,  but  running  fox  and  coon 
are  different,  and  1  want  a  different  kind  of  a 
hound.  4fr     ^     ^ 

We  have  made  a  success  in  raising  bear 
hounds,  and  find  the  only  way  to  get  a  good  pup 
with  the  hunting  habit,  is  to  haye  it  bred  in  them 
first,  says  a  California  Brother.  One  has  to  have 
good  parent  hounds,  and  while  the  mother  dog 
is  carrying  the  pups  she  must  be  worked  on  what- 
ever you  want  your  pups  to  run.  For  instance, 
we  have  a  black  and  tan  long  eared  bitch,  bred 
her  to  a  good  hound,  one  quarter  stag.  Before 
she  had  these  puppies  we  caught  three  bears 
with  others,  letting  her  get  in  and  fight  hard. 

These  puppies  when  a  month  old  would 
crawl  on  a  bear  hide  rug,  chew  and  shake  at  it, 
and  when  three  months  old,  would  track,  bark 
and  fight.  Now  they  are  five  months  old  and 
know  considerable  about  it.  We  treed  an  old 
bear,  and  these  pups  kept  right  on  and  treed  two 
cubs,  and  barked  up  and  stayed  until  we  found 
them  after  we  had  the  old  one  skinned  and  cut 
up.  They  have  the  instinct  in  them,  and  are 
beauties  with  just  enough  stag  in  them  to  have 
a  good  crop  of  whiskers. 


w 

3 

cr 
o 

H 
•-t 


CHAPTER  XII. 

CARE  AND   BREEDING. 

^S  we  must  raise  the  dog  before  concerning 
ourselves  with  his  culture,  let  us  begin 
with  the  pup. 
I  commence  to  care  for  the  pups  by 
giving  the  bitch  plenty  of  exercise  before  they 
are  born.  Then  as  soon  as  they  are  born,  put 
them  in  a  clean,  dry  place,  where  they  will  be 
comfortable,  —  if  in  winter,  where  cold  winds 
cannot  reach  them ;  if  in  summer,  in  a  cool  place 
out  of  the  hot  sun.  Feed  the  bitch  well  on  good 
food  of  difPerent  varieties ;  do  not  chain  her,  but 
rather  shut  her  up  in  a  park  of  something  of  the 
kind,  where  she  can  exercise  but  not  get  out  to 
run,  for  if  she  should  run  she  gets  hot  and  you 
may  loose  some  if  not  all  of  your  puppies. 

By  the  time  the  pups  are  three  weeks  old, 
you  will  need  to  commence  feeding  some  milK 
twice  each  day,  gradually  increasing  the  amount 
as  tlie  bitch  becomes  dry,  and  when  she  weans 
them,  feed  three  times  a  day,  until  about  six 
months  old ;  after  which  I  only  feed  twice  a  day. 

In  this  connection  we  quote  from  an  article 
in  a  current  magazine,  the  truth  of  the  conten- 

116 


CARE  AND  BREEDINGS.  117 

tions  being  borne  out  to  a  greater  or  less  extent 
by  our  own  observations : 

After  her  puppies  are  about  five  weeks  of 
age  a  bitch  will  begin  to  vomit  the  contents  of 
her  stomach  for  the  puppies.  I  have  known 
many  breeders  of  experience  argiie  tluit  but  few 
bitches  do  so.  Over  and  over  again  have  I  been 
able  to  convince  persons  who,  having  immediate 
care  of  the  bitch  and  her  litter,  deny  that  the 
bitch  ever  vomits  to  her  puppies,  that  they  are 
wrong.  Many  bitches  never  vomit  when  the  at- 
tendant is  about,  and  only  appear  to  do  so  at 
night;  hence  the  belief  tliat  they  do  not  do  so 
at  all.  It  is  the  natural  manner  in  which  the 
bitch  feeds  her  whelp  with  partially  digested 
food,  after  her  milk  supply  ceases  to  suffice  for 
their  requirements.  If  the  bitch  is  of  good  con- 
stitution and  in  good  health,  the  puppies  flourish 
remarkably  on  the  diet  thus  provided,  and  in  such 
cases  my  experience  leads  me  to  believe  that  pup- 
pies left  with  their  dams  do  better  than  when 
separated  from  them  and,  strange  to  say,  bitches 
who  are  in  the  habit  of  picking  up  all  sorts  of 
apparently  undesirable  odds  and  ends  do  not 
seem  to  do  their  puppies  less  well  under  these  cir- 
cumstances than  cleaner  feeders  do. 

Many  bitches  eat  the  young  soon  as  they 
come  if  not  closely  watched,  especially  the  first 
time.    There  should  be  an  attendant  at  time  of 


118  HUNTING   DOGS. 

whelping.  Whelps  must  be  removed  to  a  basket 
of  warm  cloths  and  kept  away  till  all  have  come 
and  then  place  to  matron  for  nursing.  There  is 
no  danger  of  her  devouring  them  thereafter. 

To  resume :  This  is  what  I  feed  pups :  grind 
rye  Avithout  bolting  and  sometimes  oats  ground 
very  fine;  tlien  run  through  a  coarse  sieve,  and 
bake  into  bread  without  soda  or  baking  i^owder, 
or  make  into  a  thick  mush  and  feed  it  with  plenty 
of  milk  if  convenient.  As  they  grow  older  add 
cornmeal  and  scraps  from  the  butcher  shop  to 
the  feed,  and  give  them  enough  to  keep  them 
nice  and  sleek,  but  do  not  overfeed. 

By  the  time  the}^  are  three  weeks  old  they 
will  be  running  everywhere,  and  let  them  have 
plenty  of  room  to  run  and  play.  Change  their 
beds  as  often  as  needed,  which  is  a  good  way  to 
prevent  fleas.  Should  fleas  get  on  them  as  they 
are  sure  to  do,  put  a  tablespoouful  of  oil  of  tar 
in  a  quart  of  warm  water,  take  a  fine  tooth  comb, 
dip  in  tar  water,  and  comb  them  until  the  hair 
is  thoroughly  saturated;  repeating  as  often  as 
needed. 

For  bedding,  the  best  is  leaves  from  the 
woods;  straw  will  answer,  but  I  prefer  the 
leaves  to  anything  I  have  ever  tried,  but  what- 
ever is  used  it  should  be  changed  often  and  kept 
dry.  For  the  dog  with  a  damp  place  to  sleep, 
will  soon  have  the  mange,  and  it  is  far  easier  to 


CARE  AND  BREEDING.  119 

keep  a  dog  .healthy  than  to  cure  him  after  he  has 
become  diseased.  In  warm  weather  I  use  no 
bedding  as  it  is  only  a  harbor  for  vermin. 

The  best  place  by  far,  to  keep  your  dogs,  is 
in  a  park,  wliere  there  is  shade  in  summer,  with 
running  water,  and  slope  enough  to  the  land,  to 
allow  it  to  be  well  washed  wheneyer  it  rains. 
Then  provide  drj^,  comfortable  quarters  to  sleep, 
and  you  have  an  ideal  home  for  dogs.  In  case 
you  cannot  have  a  place  of  this  kind  nor  even 
a  small  park,  aud  must  keep  jour  dog  chained, 
attach  a  good  heavy  Avire  to  the  dog  house  and 
the  other  end  to  a  tree,  where  your  dog  can  get 
to  a  shade  if  possible;  then  attach  a  chain  to 
the  wire  so  your  dog  can  travel  along  the  wire ; 
but  be  sure  that  he  cannot  get  tangled  n^  and 
have  to  lay  out  some  wet  night 

Some  are  situated  far  better  than  others  for 
taking  care  of  dogs  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  there 
is  an  occasional  sportsman  (or  at  least  he  owns 
a  dog  or  two),  who  is  inclined  to  let  his  dogs 
shift  for  tliemselves.  I  pity  the  dog  that  is  un- 
fortunate enough  to  have  such  an  owner. 

My  experience  is  that  too  much  meat  is  not 
good  for  the  foxhound,  and  if  they  get  a  mess  of 
old  stale  meat  just  before  you  want  to  run  them, 
the  chances  are  that  they  can't  make  the  race. 
I  have  seen  good  dogs  that  couldn't  run  an  hour, 
simply  because  they  were  filled  up  with  old  dead 


120  HUNTING   DOGg. 

hog  or  horse.  If  you  want  to  make  a  good  race 
with  your  dog,  keep  him  tied  two  or  three  days 
before  you  intend  to  run  him,  feed  him  corn 
bread  (well  baked)  and  sweet  milk.  If  you  run 
at  night,  give  yoiir  dog  a  good  feed  at  noon  and 
yery  little  at  night  when  you  start,  and  if  your 
hound  has  the  ^'stuff--  in  him  he  is  good  for  all 
night. 

It  think  rotten  meat  will  affect  the  smelling 
of  a  dog  as  well  as  heat  them  up,  so  they  can't 
make  a  good  race.  To  let  your  dog  run  loose 
until  you  are  ready  for  a  chase,  where  he  can 
find  slop  and  such  stuff  to  be  filled  up  on,  and 
haye  your  friend  meet  you  with  his  hounds  in 
fine  shape  and  lead  your  hound  all  the  time,  well 
you  know  how  you  would  feel. 

Some  say  you  must  haye  it  bred  in  a  hound 
to  run.  That  is  all  true  enough,  but  a  well  bred 
hound  with  all  grit  can't  make  a  good  race  if 
he  isn't  in  shape  to  do  it. 

The  foregoing  is  borne  out  and  added  detail 
giyen  in  tlie  following  contribution  from  New 
York  State : 

I  find  that  fox  hounds  which  I  feed  on  old 
stinking  pork  or  stinking  meat  of  any  kind  are 
quite  stupid  and  yery  careless  about  hunting. 
They  cannot  keep  on  the  trail,  neither  do  they 
wish  to  run  fast  or  continue  running  long.    Old 


CARE  AND  BREEDING.  121 

stinking  porlv  seems  to  be  the  worst  I  could  feed 
to  a  fox  lioiind,  and  corn  bread  and  some  milk 
on  it  seems  to  be  tlie  best. 

When  my  dogs  are  fed  on  cornbread  and 
milk  they  display  the  most  activity,  and  can  fol- 
low a  fox  or  rabbit  more  accurately  and  accord- 
ingly run  faster.  When  I  want  to  make  my 
hound  run  slow  I  feed  him  some  meat,  and  the 
more  it  stinks  the  less  he  can  smell  anything 
but  the  fumes  of  this  in  his  stomach.  I  can 
easil}^  tell  by  the  smell  of  ni.y  dog's  breath 
whether  he  has  eaten  fresh  mutton  or  rotten 
horse  recently,  and  I  think  any  healthy  jDerson 
can  easily. 

Here  are  another  hunter's  views  on  this 
same  subject : 

In  rearing  hounds,  to  have  them  hardy  and 
intelligent  you  must  feed  them  right  and  provide 
them  with  a  lot  of  good  fresh  water  as  well  as 
to  give  them  daily  exercise.  When  I  feed  beef, 
I  have  a  small  axe  with  which  I  chop  all  the 
bones  into  fine  pieces.  They  also  get  scraps  from 
the  table  with  some  vegetables  mixed  with 
cooked  rolled  oats.  I  feed  the  old  ones  once  a 
day  with  raw  meat  and  once  with  porridge.  I 
see  that  they  get  just  enough  to  keep  tliem  always 
in  good  running  condition,  that  is  neither  fat  nor 
thin.     I  like  a  dos:  with  a  sood  rollin":  skin.     I 


122  HUNTING   DOGS. 

never  take  a  skeleton  dog  in  the  avoocIs  as  I  have 
often  seen  hunters  going  deer  hunting  with  dogs 
which  vou  could  read  a  newspaper  through. 

Now  of  what  use  are  such  animals  as  these? 
Some  say  that  a  thin  dog  will  run  better  than  a 
fat  one.  Yes,  if  the  fat  one  is  hog  fat;  but  a  dog 
with  about  one-half  inch  of  hard  fat  on  the  ribs 
will  out-do  a  dozen  of  these  starved  dogs  of  which 
you  can  count  the  bones  at  one  hundred  yards 
from  them.  No,  a  dog  with  just  the  skin  and 
bones  cannot  stand  any  work  for  the  reason  that 
he  has  no  bottom. 

Young  jjups  should  be  fed  at  the  very  least 
three  times  daily,  .four  times  is  still  better. 
Never  give  them  more  tlian  what  they  can  eat, 
and  in  the  meantime  see  that  the}'  just  get 
enough  so  as  to  clean  the  dish  well  at  every  meal 
and  in  no  case  should  tlie  pan  containing  the 
food  be  left  in  the  intervals  with  the  puppies  if 
they  have  not  cleaned  it  out  as  they  will  become 
disgusted  with  it  and  next  time  refuse  to  feed. 
Keep  everything  clean  and  dry  aud  always  feed 
at  the  same  hour  daily.  It  is  much  easier  to 
rear  a  pair  of  pups  than  a  siugle  one. 

Before  weaning  tlie  dew-claw  should  always 
be  removed.  These  are  of  no  use  but  only  serve 
to  bother  tlie  dogs  and  hounds  should  always 
have  them  cut  off. 

Worm  medicine  should  alwavs  be  civen  to 


CARE  AND  BREEDING.  123 

all  Tounp:  dogs  and  kennels  should  be  lime 
Avashed  at  least  three  times  a  year  and  never  al- 
low your  dogs  to  sleep  near  the  stove  and  then 
turn  them  out  in  the  cold.  If  you  desire  a  lazy 
jiound  allow  him  to  burn  himself  at  the  stove, 
but  if  on  the  contrary  you  wish  a  lively  dog,  pro- 
vide him  with  a  good  dry  kennel  and  if  you  keep 
several  dogs  see  that  each  one  has  his  own  stall. 
This  has  the  advantage  of  preventing  them  from 
fighting  and  from  the  risk  of  taking  cold  by 
lying  out  of  the  kennel. 

When  your  dogs  return  from  the  hunt  al- 
ways examine  their  feet  and  legs  and  if  you  find 
any  sore  spots  attend  to  them  at  once.  If  the 
dogs  return  wet  to  camp  always  allow  them  to 
dry  near  a  stove  before  turning  them  to  their 
kenner  which  should  be  a  good  dry  one. 

If  you  desire  your  dogs  to  stand  hard  work 
day  after  day  you  must  look  after  them  with  as 
much  care  as  a  jockey  attends  to  his  horse. 

The  very  moment  you  notice  your  dog  is 
looking  dull  ascertain  at  once  what  is  the  cause, 
and  if  you  are  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  a  cold  or 
distemper,  don't  wait  until  you  see  his  eyes  and 
nose  running,  to  doctor  him^  but  attend  to  him 
immediately. 


c 
a 

O 

Q 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

BREEDING. 

CHE  main  and  most  important  question  in 
breeding  race  horses  as  well  as  hounds  is 
to  get  always  the  very  best  and  to  do  this, 
one  has  to  be  on  the  move  and  watch  the 
hunting  and  staying  quality  as  well  as  the  style 
of  looking  for  trails,  etc. ;  and  a  breeder  should 
always  be  ready  to  pa.y  the  price  for  a  good  sire 
or  dam.  And  he  should  always  bear  in  mind 
that  there  is  no  more  trouble  or  bother  and  that 
it  does  not  cost  more  to  raise  a  pair  of  dogs 
from  Avell  known  hunting  stock  than  from  un- 
known stock  but  where  it  tells  is  when  the  dogs 
are  of  age  for  training.  It  is  here  where  the 
great  difference  exists  and  where  a  sportsman  is 
willing  to  look  at  the  right  side  of  the  matter 
finds  his  mistake  and  where  he  regrets  not  hav- 
ing paid  a  few  dollars  more  for  the  right  stock. 
Some  say  that  if  pedigreed  dogs  were 
trained  they  would  beat  the  other  dogs.  The 
question  is  to  train  them.  Hounds  which  come 
from  untrained  or  from  partly  or  badly  trained 
stock  Avill  always  be  poor  hunters.  They  will 
never  be  the  dogs  that  they  would  have  been  had 

125 


126  HUNTING  D0G9. 

they  come  from  highly  trained  stock,  that  is  that 
their  sire  and  dam  and  grand  sire  and  grand 
dam  were  all  trained  bj  persons  who  thoroughly 
understood  the  way  of  breeding  and  rearing  as 
well  as  the  age  and  proper  way  of  training.  A 
hound  coming  from  such  selected  stock  will 
learn  and  pick  up  in  a  day  what  will  take  others 
months  and  probabl,y  a  whole  season  to  learn. 
I  neyer  kept  a  hound  wliich  after  haying  shown 
him  the  game  and  also  blooded  him  once  or  twice 
would  not  at  once  start  to  hunt  because  I  con- 
sider that  tlie  sooner  a  sportsman  will  shoot 
such  dogs  the  better. 

There  are  plenty  of  fox  dogs  that  are  good 
coon  dogs,  and  a  great  many  coon  dogs  will  run 
a  fox  to  a  finish,  but  the  fox  and  coon  dogs  are 
two  yery  different  dogs.  There  is  also  a  greater 
difference  in  the  opinions  of  hunters,  in  regard 
to  the  coon  dog  than  in  any  other  dogs. 

Some  want  the  full  blooded  hound,  and 
some  a  cross  with  a  foxhound ;  liere  they  differ 
again  as  to  what  dog  to  cross  with ;  others  want 
no  hound  blood  at  all,  but  a  shepherd ;  one  wants 
a  collie  and  another  just  a  dog.  Then  here  is  a 
hunter  who  insists  on  a  silent  dog;  and  the  next 
one  says  the  silent  trailer  doesn't  camp  with  him. 

Now  as  I  am  not  looking  for  trouble,  I  will 
a^ee  with  all  of  you.    Where  coons  are  plenti- 


BREEDING.  127 

ful  and  you  are  likelj  to  strike  a  coon  track  in 
every  cornfield,  the  half  hound  or  even  a  cur  dog, 
will  get  coons;  but  where  they  are  scarce  and 
you  may  tramp  until  near  morning,  and  then 
strike  a  trail  five  or  six  hours  old,  if  you  get  that 
coon,  you  will  need  a  dog  with  a  good  nose  and 
T)ne  that  tongues  on  a  trail.  But  there  is  one 
point  on  which  you  will  all  agree  —  if  your  dog 
does  not  stay  at  a  tree  and  bark  good  and  plenty, 
he  isn't  much  of  a  coon  dog.  Consequently  in 
breeding  for  coon  dogs,  this  is  the  most  impor- 
tant point.  Get  as  many  other  coon  points  as 
3'Ou  can,  but  be  sure  his  ancestors  have  been  good 
tree  dogs,  as  far  back  as  you  can  trace  them. 

The  very  reason  that  there  are  so  many  culls 
in  this  country,  is  because  many  hunters  think 
a  dog  is  a  dog,  and  that  any  dog  with  long  ears 
is  a  hound.  Ears  count  for  nothing  but  looks; 
bient  legs,  ditto ;  the  only  way  that  you  can  per- 
fect the  breed,  which  in  your  estimation,  is  the 
ideal,  is  by  choosing  the  dogs  of  the  best  particu- 
lar kind  which  you  prefer.  For  instance,  how 
could  a  hunter  expect  to  produce  a  strain  of 
dogs  with  good,  loud  voices,  if  he  chooses  as  his 
breeders  the  poorest  squallers  in  the  lot?  Na- 
ture is  nature,  and  it  is  only  by  studying  her 
laws  that  we  are  able  to  produce  our  ideal  of  any 
kind;    also,  if  he  wants  an  intelligent  dog,  he 


128  HUNTING   DOGS. 

must  pick  out  the  one  with  the  most  desired 
good  points,  and  then  he  is  on  the  fair  way  to 
success. 

In  short,  in  order  to  have  a  hound  that  will 
repay  you  for  his  training,  he  must  be  bred  right 
in  ever}^  detail  or  the  hunter  is  doomed  to  disaj)- 
pointment.  If  the  hunter  does  not  own  a  first 
class  pair  to  breed  from  and  cannot  secure  a 
good  strain  in  his  localitj^,  he  should  buy  from  a 
reliable  dealer,  one  whom  he  knows  has  made  a 
success  of  breeding  this  class  of  dogs.  It  is  also 
advisable  to  buy  a  young  puj)  as  the  chances  of 
securing  the  best  are  alike  to  all,  or  even  though 
the  parent  dogs  are  No.  1  in  every  respect,  there 
will  be  some  in  the  litter  that  will  be  weak  in 
points  before  they  have  reached  the  age  of  eight 
months,  the  breeder  himslf  Avill  have  difficulty  in 
choosing  any  one  as  the  best. 

There  is  a  standard  for  judging  the  so-called 
high  class  pedigree  show  dogs  but  which  does 
not  cut  much  ice  with  a  fox  and  coon  hunter. 
Regardless  of  color,  the  qualities  most  desirable 
in  an  all  around  fox  hound  are:  1st,  staying 
qualities  and  powers  of  endurance.  2d,  voice, 
feet  and  general  make  up. 

Personally,  I  like  a  hound  that  stands  from 
20  to  24  inches  at  shoulder,  long  in  body,  deep 
chested,  heavy  boned  with  a  coat  of  rather  long 
hair,  the  feet  should  be  round  in  shape  with  a 


130  HUNTING   DOGS. 

good  covering  of  hair  to  protect  the  soles  or 
pads.  A  foxhound  sliould  not  have  a  second 
claw  on  the  hind  leg  for  this  shows  a  cross  in 
his  breeding.  A  dog  tliat  has  these  claws  will 
not  stand  much  hard  running  in  crust  for  by 
rubbing  against  trees,  etc.,  thej  will  gradually 
become  sore  and  bleeding,  and  the  hound  al- 
though willing  enough  is  handicapped  with  a 
pair  of  sore  legs.  Some  hunters  cut  these  claws 
off  Avhile  young.  In  the  pure  strain  of  fox  dogs 
this  would  be  unnecessary  as  thej  would  not 
have  them  on. 

The  first  cost  of  a  young  hound  is  nothing 
compared  Avith  the  time  and  trouble  it  takes  to 
bring  him  to  a  hunting  age.  Therefore,  it  is  ad- 
visable to  bu}^  the  best  obtainable  for  even 
though  the  price  be  high  at  first  cost,  the  hunter 
will  be  better  satisfied  for  his  time  and  money 
when  tlie  dog  1ms  fully  developed  for  the  chase. 
In  making  a  choice  for  breeding,  select  a  pair 
that  has  been  thoroughly  tried  and  are  known  to 
have  no  weak  points,  such  as  poor  voice,  quit- 
ters, back  trackers,  etc.  It  is  also  advisable  to 
hunt  witli  the  bitch  as  much  as  possible  up  to 
the  very  time  the  pups  are  whelped.  The  pups 
will  be  stronger  and  better  in  every  way  than  if 
the  mother  had  been  housed  in  all  the  time,  and 
a  hunter  will  find  that  a  pup  so  bred  will  take 
to  hunting  almost  as  soon  as  he  can  run. 


HUNTING    DOGS. 


131 


Do  not  breed  a  pair  of  young  dogs,  rather 
select  if  possible,  an  old  dog  for  a  young  bitch 
for  by  breeding  two  young  dogs  their  pups  are 
apt  to  be  hot-headed,  over-anxious  and  these 
qualities  are  not  wanted  in  a  foxhound. 

To  be  sure  of  a  strain  of  dogs  the  breeder 
must  know  their  ancestors  three  generations 
back  for  it  is  surprising  how  far  back  a  pup  will 
breed  from,  not  only  in  color  but  in  characteris- 
tics, habits,  etc. 


Fox  Hounds. 


CHAPTER  XIV  — BREEDING    (Continued). 
Crossing  for  Coon  Dogs. 

mY  (experience  has  been  that  the  cross- 
ing of  an  English  pointer  dog  and 
American  fox  hound  slut  for  'coon 
dogs,  are  the  best  I  ever  saw,  writes 
an  Ohio  night  hunter  of  rare  judgment  and  ex- 
perience, and  I  will  illustrate  by  relating  the 
accomplishments  of  a  certain  dog  of  the  breed- 
ing. I  Avill  say  further  that  the  sire  of  this 
dog  I  mention  was  the  most  remarkable  I  ever 
heard  of  —  a  fine  large  pointer,  and  often  when 
hunting  quails  or  pheasants  in  the  woods  he 
would  bark  up  and  had  done  it  many  times  be- 
fore they  found  out  the  cause. 

One  day  while  hunting  pheasants  he  began 
to  bark  up  a  hollow  beech  stub,  and  Avhen  called, 
refused  to  leave  his  post,  and  his  hair  was 
slightly  raised,  which  excited  the  hunter's 
curiosity  and  they  procured  an  axe  and  felled 
the  stub.  To  their  surprise,  two  large  'coons 
came  rolling  out  and  were  dispatched.  This 
solved  the  problem,  and  after  that,  he  was  the 
cause  of  many  'coons  losing  their  life,  as  he 
located  them  in  the  den  and  trees  where  they 

183 


134  HUNTING    DOGS. 

had  uot  stepi^ed  a  foot  on  the  ground.     I  for 
one  can  surel}^  recommend  this  cross  to  make 

good  'coon  dogs. 

*  *  * 

A  few  points  in  regard  to  a  stud  dog  for 
fox.  Pick  a  dog  with  a  deep  chest,  good  strong 
loin,  long  head  and  stands  with  his  feet  well 
under  him.  About  the  feet  —  take  the  foot  in 
your  hand,  press  gently,  and  if  it  feels  firm  and 
springy  like  a  piece  of  rubber,  that  dog  has  a 
good  foot,  which  is  very  necessary  in  a  fox  dog, 
but  if  he  has  a  soft,  mushy  foot,  let  that  dog 
alone,  no  matter  how  good  he  looks,  for  he  will 
not  stand  long  chases,  and  the  old  adage  that 
like  begets  like,  will  surely  show  itself  in  this 

case. 

*  *  * 

There  are  a  great  many  worthless  dogs,  but 
the  dogs  are  not  to  blame.  I  am  writing  on  fox 
dogs,  but  it  holds  good  on  all  dogs.  There  is 
ahvays  a  worthless  bitch,  and  sometimes  several 
of  them  to  be  had  for  nothing,  and  some  fellow 
who  wants  a  dog  but  don't  want  to  pay  a  fair 
price  says,  "I'll  get  that  bitch  and  breed  her 
to  that  dog  down  at  Graysville.  They  say  he's 
a  crackerjack,  and  I'll  get  some  good  dogs  and 
they  won't  cost  me  anything  either." 

Well,  when  the  time  comes  to  breed  it's 


BREEDING    (CONTINUED).  135 

five  miles  to  Graysville,  and  the  roads  are  awful 
muddy,  and  he  concluded  to  breed  to  Jim  Jones' 
dog  just  over  the  way,  saying  he  ain't  much  of 
a  dog,  and  a  cousin  to  the  bitch,  but  his  great- 
grandmother  got  more  foxes  than  any  dog  over 
in  these  parts,  and  some  of  the  pups  will  breed 
back.  He  gets  eight  or  ten  pups,  which  he  gets 
perhaps  fl.OO  a  piece  for,  and  it  costs  just  as 
much  to  raise  a  poor  one  as  a  good  one.  The 
owners  spend  a  lot  of  time  trying  to  make  dogs 
of  them  and  have  nothing  at  last. 

In  a  running  dog  these  are  the  qualities  I 
think  are  needed.  First,  endurance,  because  no 
dog  can  make  a  race  after  a  red  fox  without 
it.  Then  speed,  a  good  nose,  lots  of  ambition, 
good  sense  and  the  more  of  that  the  better; 
and  will  need  to  be  able  to  hear  well  to  enable 
him  to  cut  corners  if  he  happens  to  get  behind, 
as  any  dog  is  liable  to  do. 

After  the  pups  are  born,  don't  let  the  bitch 
run  until  they  are  weaned,  for  it  will  hurt  both 
mother  and  puppies.  Should  she  get  very  hot 
and  then  get  to  her  pups  you  would  likely  lose 
some  or  perhaps  all  of  them. 

Here  we  have  still  another  favorite  breed 
for  'coon  hunting,  advanced  by  an  old  and  tried 
hunter.  Says  he :  My  choice  of  a  breed  of  'coon 
dog  is  a  grade  hound  crossed  on  a  bull  or  one- 


136  HUNTING   DOGS. 

half  hound,  one  fourth  rat  terrier  and  one- 
fourth  Scotch  collie  or  shepherd  or  fox  hound 
and  beagle. 

Says  another :  A  hound  to  be  a  fine  ranger 
does  not  require  many  years  of  training  if  he 
comes  from  a  sire  and  dam  that  T\'ere  both  good 
rangers  and  Avhich  tlieir  own  sire  and  dam  and 
grand  sire  and  grand  dam  Avere  all  good  and 
highl}^  trained  dogs.  He  is  sure  to  hang  from 
them  and  any  sportsman  having  dogs  of  that 
strain  will  enjoy  the  use  of  his  dog  at  once,  but 
where  it  takes  three  or  five  seasons  and  some- 
times more  to  make  a  good  dog,  is  when  they 
come  from  exhibition  stock  or  from  stock  that 
have  never  been  broken  right.  If  a  hound  is 
wrongly  taught  to  hunt  he  will  always  be  a 
crazy  dog  and  will,  if  bred,  give  poor  hunters 
exactly  like  himself. 

An  Ohio  Fox  Hunter  goes  on  record  thus: 
In  breeding  hounds  some  seem  to  expect  great 
work  on  any  line  they  wish  to  see  the  hound, 
not  stopping  to  think  eA^erything  to  its  kind  and 
everything  to  be  perfect  must  be  true  to  his 
nature.  The  bloodhound  is  true  to  his  nature 
with  reasonable  opportunity.  He  is  a  man 
trailer,  a  large,  strong  dog,  built  for  strength 
and  endurance  but  not  for  fleetness  which  all 
breeders  concede  the  'coon  dog  should  be  built 
upon.     Strong  in  my  opinion  with  strong  jaws, 


BREEDING    (CONTINUED).  137 

good  size  and  a  good  muzzle,  a  good  scent  with 
as  much  speed  and  determination  as  you  can 
inject  into  their  blood. 

I  am  now  speaking  of  coon  dogs.  They  may 
be  bred  almost  any  way  and  yet  be  good  coon 
dogs  but  I  find  it  is  just  as  necessary  to  have 
them  bred  from  coon  hunting  stock  as  for  any 
dog  or  animal  to  be  trained  for  any  specific  or 
especial  purpose.  It  must  be  bred  Avith  that  ob- 
ject in  view  and  as  much  of  that  blood  and  dis- 
position injected  into  the  veins  as  is  possible  to 
get. 

The  fox  hound  is  a  special  or  specific  type 
or  breed  of  dog.  He  is  bred  for  it,  built  for  it, 
trained  for  it  and  if  a  true  type  of  hound,  is  it. 
Not  all  well  bred  dogs  are  fox  dogs  nor  are  all 
well  bred  horses  fast.  Only  one  in  many.  But 
in  order  to  have  grounds  to  expect  speed,  we 
must  have  breeding,  as  the  saying  goes,  ^'Blood 
T\dll  tell.''  Some  are  daffy  on  pedigree,  others 
must  have  everything  registered,  others  ask  only 
for  the  swing  and  stajdng  qualities  of  their  an- 
cestors, etc. 

All  breeds  of  hounds  have  some  worthless, 
yet  some  may  be  fairh^  good  along  some  particu- 
lar line  and  very  much  at  fault  in  others.  Some 
have  speed  but  cannot  be  got  to  use  it,  will  not 
get  in  with  a  pack  and  run  to  a  finish.  Some 
will  run  with  a  slow  pack  all  right  but  put  them 


138  HUNTING   DOGS. 

in  witli  a  fast  pack  and  they  will  have  their  gal- 
lop out  in  from  one  to  two  hours.  They  seem  to 
have  all  the  courage  necessary  but  not  the  speed. 
Some  will  go  after  the  first  fox  trail  they  ever 
smell  of  and  others  you  have  to  train  to  follow„ 

I  think  this  difference  largely  between  the 
dog  that  is  allowed  to  run  at  large  and  one  raised 
in  a  corral.  One  is  fearful  of  everything,  the 
other  fearless  and  full  of  self-confidence.  Con- 
fidence is  worth  much  in  both  dog  and  man.  So 
many  cannot  run  unless  they  have  their  noses 
directly  over  the  trail  and  have  no  driving  in- 
stinct. If  they  lose,  the  trail,  go  back  and  get  it 
and  bring  it  up  to  where  they  lost  it  before.  So 
for  several  times,  perhaps,  before  getting  away, 
the  dog  running  all  the  time,  Mr.  Fox  sitting 
down  waiting,  resting.  You  never  hear  of  such 
dogs  catching  or  holding  a  fox.  They  seem  to  be 
Avilling  but  lack  the  tact  and  fox  sense. 

I  would  say  to  breeders  there  are  only  a  few 
characteristics  necessary  for  good  foxhounds 
and  eyerj'  breeder  should  see  to  this  with 
careful  study  and  tests.  First  —  Courage.  Do 
not  breed  a  dog  on  either  side  that  has  not  got  it. 
It  will  crop  out  to  make  joii  ashamed  of  your 
dog  some  time.  Second  —  Speed.  It  is  just  as 
natural  for  the  lover  of  a  chase  to  want  to  be 
ahead,  as  for  the  lover  of  the  horse  race,  but  we 
cannot  all  be  so;   often  we  find  it  easy  to  beat 


BREEDING    (CONTINUED).  139 

our  slow  packs  in  the  neighborhood  and  how  we 
swell  up  and  think  we  can  best  anybody  until  we 
get  away  from  home  and  get  that  bubble  pricked. 

Other  qualifications  as  to  form  and  shape. 
A  dog  should  be  compact  enough  to  be  strong. 
He  should  be  just  as  long  as  he  can  be  to  gather 
quicklj^  A  dog  too  long  turning  on  all  kinds 
of  ground  is  like  a  horse  with  a  very  long  stride 
trying  to  go  fast  on  a  short  track.  His  stride 
is  too  long  for  the  lay  of  the  ground.  Another 
qualification  and  not  in  the  least,  —  is  voice. 
The  dog  t]mt  has  no  voice  holds  not  the  highest 
place  in  his  owner's  pride.  A  good  hound,  one 
prized  hy  his  owner  and  loved  by  the  lover  of  the 
chase  must  do  three  things  at  once,  run  fast, 
carry  the  trail  and  tongue  well.  These  requisi- 
tions make  a  good  fox  dog  and  if  his  shape  and 
symmetry  is  good,  he  is  a  valued  dog. 

Breeders  should  look  to  it  that  these  quali- 
ties are  bred  for  at  tlie  sacrifice  of  everything 
else.  There  may  be  places,  especially  in  very 
hilly  country,  that  a  small  hound  is  best.  In 
this  section,  give  me  a  good,  medium  large  dog, 
say  from  22  to  24  inches  at  shoulder  and  built 
in  proportion  with  from  IG  to  18  inches  earage. 
Color  is  a  matter  of  taste.  I  believe  that  our 
English  cousins  breed  them  so  straight  that  the 
spots  and  marlis  are  stamped  on  all  alike.  I 
have  heard  it  said  so  much  that  a  stranger  could 


140  HUNTING   D0G9. 

hardly  see  any  difference  in  a  pack  and  when 
the  American  breeder  gets  to  giving  so  mnch  at- 
tention to  their  breeding,  then  we  will  soon  have 
a  true  type  of  hound. 

Then  I  will  say  courage,  driving  with  cour- 
age goes  largely,  sjieed  and  voice,  good  sound 
chest  and  body,  good  wide  head  and  long  muz- 
zle, good  bone  and  heavy  forearm,  good  long 
back,  good  sound  feet,  well  padded,  with  black 
upper  mouth,  a  hazel  eye,  a  strong  loin  and  not 
too  much  flank.  Regardless  of  color  you  have 
my  ideal  fox  hound. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

PECULIARITIES    OF    DOGS   AND    PRACTICAL    HINTS. 

nEVER  purchase  a  dog  from  an  unknown 
party  unless  the  said  party  can  supply 
good  references  and  testimonials  regard- 
ing the  square  dealing  and  the  merits  of 
his  strain  of  dogs.  If  a  man  cannot  give  you 
this,  wait  until  you  find  one  who  can. 

Some  people  are  inclined  to  believe  that  a 
big  dog  cannot  compete  with  a  smaller  one. 
Most  of  them  have  to  come  to  this  conclusion  be- 
cause they  have  seen  some  big  sloppy  and  lazy 
hound,  but  take  a  big,  well  built,  lively,  fleet  and 
nervous  hound,  and  full  of  grit  and  he  win  hold 
his  own  and  more.  It  is  just  like  trying  to  ii:'ake 
a  pony  cover  the  same  ground  as  a  roadster,  df^- 
clares  a  lover  of  hounds. 

A  pup  of  most  any  large  breed  of  dogs  will 
make  a  good  watch  dog  if  properly  brought  up. 
If  fondled  and  played  with  while  young  by  every- 
body that  happened  to  come  to  the  house,  then 
the  dog  will  be  playful  and  friendly  with  people 
always  later  on.  If  to  be  made  cross  and  shun 
strangers,  the  pup  should  be  reared  in  a  lot  with 
high  board  fence  to  prevent  him  seeing  what  goes 

141 


142  HUNTING    D0G9. 

on  outside.  The  owner,  in  disguise,  or  better 
still  some  other  person,  should  now  and  then 
pound  against  the  fence,  look  over  the  top  so 
the  dog  gets  a  glimx3se  at  supposed  intruders; 
partly  open  the  gate  and  peek  in,  let  the  dog 
make  a  rush  towards  him  but  slam  gate  shut  be- 
fore quite  coming  up,  etc.  Such  practice  will 
make  any  dog  watchful  and  cross  towards  all 
strangers,  and  will  never  make  friends  with  any 
but  his  master.  For  an  imposing,  powerful  and 
the  best  of  watch  dogs  get  a  Mastiff  or  a  Great 
Dane. 

It  is  not  wise  to  expect  too  much  of  a  new 
dog.  Some  of  them  will  fret  and  worry  after 
their  friends  and  home  for  a  long  time,  will 
hardly  eat  or  drink,  and  it  takes  the  best  of  care 
and  attention  to  bring  good  results.  Eventually 
they  will  become  acquainted  and  regain  their  old 
form,  if  properly  encouraged. 

I  never  pet  my  dogs  while  hunting  except 
after  killing  game  which  in  my  opinion  is  pretty 
good  policy  as  a  dog  like  a  man  likes  to  have 
credit  for  what  he  had  done.  l\emember  also, 
though  contrary  to  the  old  fashioned  theory  that 
it  is  just  as  unreasonable  to  ask  a  dog  to  hunt 
without  food  as  it  would  be  to  hitch  up  a  horse 
and  drive  him  all  day  without  either  hay  or 
grain,  there  has  been  many  a  good  dog  called  a 
"quitter"  simply  because  he  was  weak  from  the 


143 


lack  of  food.  As  for  a  quitter,  in  my  opinion  a 
vast  majority  of  tljem  have  never  commenced,  not 
because  thej  bad  a  ^'yellow  streak,"  as  most 
hunters  say,  but  because  like  the  Irishman's  pig, 
they  have  too  many  streaks  of  lean.  As  your 
dog  is  a  better  friend  to  you  than  most  people 
of  the  J.  Sneakum  caliber,  why  not  treat  him 
right? 


In  some  journals  there  is  considerable  criti- 
cism and  complaints,  and  sometimes  one  feels 
like  steering  shy  of  many  advertisements  of  fox 
hounds.  One  publication  invites  all  persons  to 
inform  its  editor  where  any  dog  has  been  mis- 
represented and  sold  through  its  columns.  No 
doubt  in  many  instances  it  may  be  the  fault  of 
the  purchaser  handling  a  strange  dog.  I  pur- 
chased a  dog  that  followed  at  my  heels  for  sev- 
eral trips  and  would  not  leave  me  until  one  day 
he  put  his  nose  in  a  fresh  trail.  The  other  dog 
was  out  of  hearing  when  he  went  out  in  a  good 
race,  tongueing  in  good  shape,  and  was  a  No.  1 
fox  hound. 

When  a  sportsman  wishes  to  purchase  a 
strange  hound  if  he  desires  to  get  a  good  one  he 
must  pay  the  price  and  the  way  for  him  to  not 
be  fooled  is  to  deposit  his  money  at  the  express 
office  and  then  have  the  dog  sent  on  trial  and  if 
not  satisfactory,  he  returns  the  dog  and  pays  the 
express  charges  one  w^ay.    This  is  the  only  safe 


144  HUNTING    DOGS. 

wa^^  to  get  a  good  dog,  as  a  man  that  will  accept 
these  conditions  will  most  certainl}^  send  jou  tbe 
light  stnff  at  once  and  not  a  ^'cuir-,  that  he  has 
scraped  somewhere  for  f5.00  and  sells  you  from 
§15  to  $30. 

It's  detrimental  to  allow  a  bird  dog  to  roam 
and  go  self-hunting.  Not  being  restricted  he 
gets  in  all  sorts  of  mischief.  Keeping  at  home 
is  tlie  only  remedy.  To  give  ample  exercise  ar- 
range a  trolley  in  tlie  yard  by  driving  two  stakes 
into  ground  Avithout  projecting;  fasten  a  strong 
Avire  to  top  of  posts  and  on  this  slip  a  ring  to 
slide  on;  to  this  snap  the  chain  and  the  dog  can 
run  u])  and  dov/n  the  full  length  of  wire.  With- 
in a  few  days  he  will  learn  the  extent  of  run  and 
chase  up  and  doAvn  the  full  length  for  hours  at 
a  time,  then  be  content  and  restful. 

By  nature  dogs  are  cleanly-  and  will  not 
soil  their  bed  or  kennel  if  to  be  avoided.  Being 
shut  up  in  a  small  place  may  cause  them  to  be 
uncleanly  and  soil  the  floor,  making  it  disagree- 
able, as  by  rolling  in  pla}'  all  the  dogs  will  con- 
stantly present  soiled  appearance.  HoAvever, 
CA^en  in  a  small  kennel  this  can  be  regulated  as 
folloAvs :  Thoroughly  clean  out  the  place  and 
scrub;  in  one  corner  bore  some  holes  into  floor 
and  spread  saAvdu"=:t  over  this  part  only;  litter 
the  rest  of  space  Avith  clean  straw  and  besprinkle 
this  with  some  strong  disinfectant.    Turn  in  the 


PECULIARITIES  OF  DOGS^  ETC.  146 

dogs.  At  once  one  or  more  will  go  to  sawdust 
portion,  —  this  done  the  ice  is  broken  and  hence- 
forth all  the  dogs  will  use  this  part  only  as  re- 
tiring place,  leaving  the  remainder  perfectly 
clean. 

Teach  your  hound  not  to  be  afraid  of  water, 
and  to  circle  the  tree  and  to  keep  an  eye  on  the 
coon  and  to  bark  treed,  but  never  allow  him  to 
get  whipped  by  any  coon  at  first  as  this  will  dis- 
courage him.  Not  only  this,  but  the  coon  may 
blind  him  should  he  strike  him  in  the  eye.  It  is 
better  always  to  hold  or  tie  the  dog  before  shoot- 
ing the  coon,  and  when  he  drops  to  make  sure 
that  he  cannot  fight  much  more  before  allowing 
the  dog  near  him. 


16 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

AILMENTS  OF  THE  DOG. 

DOGS  as  well  as  people  sometimes  fall  ill. 
Proper  care  and  sanitary  lodgings  will  re- 
duce the  danger,  but  sickness  will  occa- 
sionally occur,  no  matter  how  great  the 
precautions. 

Dog  owners  should  therefore  acquaint  them- 
selves Avith  the  commoner  forms  of  ailment  to 
which  dogs  are  subject  and  thus  be  in  a  position 
to  quickly  administer  such  relief  as  is  possible, 
thereby  frequently  stopping  a  sick  spell  promptly 
that  might  otherwise  result  seriously  if  not  fa- 
tally. 

Tlie  dog  is  very  similar  to  man  in  his  ail- 
ments as  well  as  in  his  susceptibility  to  drugs. 
As  a  general  thing  medicine  that  is  good  for  a 
human  being  is  good  for  a  dog  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances. "While  no  definite  rule  can  be  laid 
down"  says  an  eminent  authority,  "it  may  be 
said  that  a  dose  suitable  for  an  adult  person  is 
correct  for  the  largest  dogs,  such  as  St.  Ber- 
nards; for  dogs  from  forty  to  fifty  pounds  the 
dose  should  correspond  with  that  given  to  a  child 
twelve  to  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  so  on  down.'' 

146 


AILMENTS  OF   THE   DOG.  147 

Few  veterinarians  make  a  study  of  tlie  dog, 
and  they  rarely  are  of  any  use  when  called. 
However,  those  who  have  made  a  special  study 
may  be  consulted  with  advantage  and  saving. 

We  have  not  the  space  here  to  go  into  an  ex- 
haustive recitation  of  dog  diseases,  s^^mptoms, 
treatment  and  remedies.  If  you  are  at  a  loss 
concerning  your  dog,  write  to  one  of  the  Dog 
Doctors,  whose  advertisements  appear  in  sport- 
ing magazines,  and  he  can  no  doubt  diagnose 
the  case  and  forward  the  medicine  you  require 
at  a  minimum  cost.  In  nearly  all  cases  he  will 
forward  you  a  free  booklet  describing  the  preva- 
lent diseases  and  his  remedies  applicable  to 
same. 

Tlie  following  from  the  pen  of  H.  Clay  Glo- 
ver, V.  S.,  will  no  doubt  give  mau}^  readers  some 
liglit  on  one  of  the  common  afflictions  that  prove 
so  troublesome. 

INDIGESTION  IN  DOGS. 

Eczema  is  a  frequent  symptom,  and  let  me 
state  right  here  that  I  find  more  cases  of  ecze- 
matous  eruptions  arising  from  a  disordered  con- 
dition of  the  digestion  than  any  other  cause. 
Doubtless  many  who  will  read  this  will  recog- 
nize the  fact  tliat  at  some  time  some  certain  dog 
has  had  some  obstinate  skin  trouble,  all  kinds 
of    which    are    by    the    layman    diagnosed    as 


148  HTJNTINa    D0G9» 

"mange'',  and  that,  after  trying  various  mange 
cures  to  wliicli  the  trouble  has  not  yielded,  the 
blood  has  been  treated  with  no  better  results. 

To  any  one  who  have,  or  may  have  in  the 
future,  indigestion  eases,  let  me  advise  the  fol- 
lowing treatment,  viz. :  Feed  rather  sparingly 
three  times  a  day  on  raw  or  scraped  beef,  this 
being  the  most  readily  accepted  and  most  easily 
digested  of  all  foods  when  the  digestion  is  dis- 
ordered, allowing  no  other  diet,  and  giving  im- 
mediately after  each  meal  one  of  the  digestive 
pills.  Add  to  the  drinking  water  lime  water  in 
the  ]3roportion  of  one  to  thirty. 

By  following  this  treatment  as  laid  down, 
many  cases  of  eczema  will  disappear.  Some 
probably,  may  be  accelerated  by  the  use  of  a  skin 
lotion  in  conjunction.  Eczema  in  these  cases  is 
merely  a  symptom  appearing  in  evidence  of  dis- 
ordered digestion.  Indigestion  may  be  consid- 
ered as  a  mild  form  of  gastritis,  which  if  not 
corrected,  Avill  be  followed  by  true  gastritis,  the 
stomach  then  being  in  such  condition  that  noth- 
ing is  retained,  even  water  being  returned  im- 
mediately after  drinking.  This  will  be  accom- 
panied by  fever,  colic,  emaciation  and  only  too 
often  folloAved  by  death. 

DISTEMPER. 

We  quote  further  from  Dr.  Glover's  booklet, 


AILMENTS  OF  THE   DOG.  149 

some  practical  information  on  another  of  the 
more  common  dog  ailments : 

The  term  distemper  is  particularly  applied 
to  animals  of  the  brute  creation;  to  the  dog 
when  afflicted  with  that  disease  somewhat  resem- 
bling typhus  fever  in  the  human  race.  We  have 
now  become  quite  familiar  with  the  nature  of  the 
disease  and  the  remedies  indicated ;  consequently 
the  loss  by  death  is  comparatively  small  when 
proper  treatment  and  attention  are  employed. 
In  early  days,  those  dogs  that  were  fortunate 
enough  to  survive  this  disease  did  so  merely 
through  strength  of  constitution  and  not  from 
the  assistance  of  any  remedial  agent,  as  utter 
ignorance  of  the  subject  then  prevailed.  The  dis- 
ease doubtless  then  appeared  in  a  much  milder 
form  than  that  with  which  our  present  highly 
bred  animals  are  afflicted. 

Owing  to  more  or  less  inbreeding  that  has 
been  indulged  in  to  intensify  certain  forms  and 
characteristics  in  dogs  of  most  all  breeds,  con- 
stitution has  to  some  extent  been  sacrificed.  An- 
imals bred  in  this  way  are  in  consequence  less 
able  to  resist  or  combat  disease  than  those  with 
less  pretentious  claims  to  family  distinction. 

Causes  —  Bad  sanitary  conditions,  crowded 
or  poorly  drained  kennels,  exposure  to  dampness, 
insufficient  or  over  feeding,  improper  diet,  lack 
of  fresh  air  and  exercise,  all  conduce  to  the  de- 


150  HUNTING   DOGg. 

velopment  of  distemper.  It  is  contagious,  in- 
fectious, and  will  frequently  appear  spontane- 
ously Avitliout  any  apparent  cause  in  certain  lo- 
calities, assuming  an  epidemic  form.  Age  is  no 
exemption  from  distemper,  though  it  more  fre- 
quently attacks  young  animals  than  adults.  Very 
few  dogs  pass  through  life  without  having  it  at 
some  period. 

SYMrTOMS  —  In  early  stages,  dullness,  loss 
of  appetite,  sneezing,  chills,  fever,  undue  mois- 
ture of  the  nose,  congestion  of  the  eyes,  nausea,  a 
gagging  cough  accompanied  by  the  act  of  vomi- 
tion,  though  rarely  anything  is  voided  (if  any- 
thing, it  will  be  a  little  mucous),  thirst,  a  desire 
to  lie  in  a  warm  place,  and  rapid  emaciation. 
This  is  quickly  followed  by  mucopurulent  dis- 
charge from  the  eyes  and  nose;  later,  perhaps, 
ulceration  of  either  eyes  or  eyelids.  Labored 
respiration,  constipation  or  obstinate  diarrhoea, 
usually  the  latter,  which  frequently  runs  into 
inflammation  of  the  bowels. 

In  some  cases  many  of  the  above  symptoms 
will  be  absent,  the  bowels  being  the  first  parts 
attacked.  The  following,  which  sometimes,  but 
not  necessarily,  occur  with  distemper,  I  classify 
as  complications,  viz. :  Fits,  Chorea,  Paralysis, 
Pneumonia  or  Bronco-Pneumonia,  Jaundice,  and 
Inflammation  of  the  Bowels,  and  will  require 


AILMENTS  OF   THE    DOG.  151 

treatment  independent  of  any  one  remedy  that 
may  be  given. 

Treatment  —  The  animal  should  be  placed 
in  warm,  dry  quarters,  and  hygienic  conditions 
strictly  observed.  With  puppies,  at  the  start 
give  vermifuge,  as  nearly  all  have  worms  which 
add  greatly  to  the  irritation  of  stomach,  bowels 
and  nervous  system. 

The  bedding  should  be  changed  daily  and 
the  apartment  disinfected  twice  a  week. 

Feed  frequently  on  easily  digested,  nutri- 
tious diet,  such  as  beef  tea  or  mutton  broth, 
tliickened  with  rice.  Let  all  food  be  slightly  cool, 
and  keep  fresh  cold  water  at  all  times  within 
reach  of  the  animal.  If  constipation  be  present 
give  warm  water  and  glycerine  enemas,  and  an 
occasional  dose  of  castor  oil  if  necessary.  Should 
the  bowels  become  too  much  relaxed  with  any 
tendency  to  inflammation,  feed  entirely  upon 
food,  such  as  arrowroot,  farina  or  corn  starch 
with  well  boiled  milk,  as  even  beef  tea  is  some- 
what of  an  irritation  to  the  stomach  and  bowels. 

In  the  treatment  of  distemper,  one  great 
object  is  to  keep  up  the  general  strength,  so 
in  case  of  extreme  debility  a  little  whisky  in  milk 
or  milk  punches  may  be  allowed. 

If  your  efforts  are  not  successful  and  you 
are  in  danger  of  losing  one  or  more  good  dogs, 


152  HUNTING   DOGS. 

write  a  specialist.     It  would  require  fifty  pages 
of  this  book  to  go  into  the  subject  fully. 

RHEUMATISM. 

Acute  rheumatism  in  the  dog  is  similar  to 
that  in  the  human  body,  effecting  the  joints. 
iMuscular  rheumatism  settles  in  the  muscles. 
If  given  early  5  to  15  grains,  twice  a  day,  of 
salicate  of  sodium  is  a  most  excellent  preventa- 
tive measure.  A  severe  case  demands  more 
elaborate  care. 

RICKETS. 

Those  accustomed  to  dogs  have  seen  cases 
of  rickets.  It  is  a  constitutional  or  inherited 
affliction,  and  attacks  puppies  most  frequently. 
Nothing  can  be  done  save  kill  the  sufferer  if  the 
attack  is  severe,  or  build  up  the  health  generally, 
toward  outgrowing  the  trouble,  if  mild. 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  ailments  the 
faithful  dog  is  heir  to;  yet  in  a  general  way,  a 
healthy  dog  is  no  more  subject  to  disease  than 
a  healthy  person,  and  in  many  cases  the  old 
family  watch  dog  will  pass  a  long  and  useful 
life  with  no  more  serious  trouble  than  he  can 
readily  cope  with,  with  the  assistance  of  nature. 

We  add  some  practical  advice  from  Mr. 
Amer  Braley  of  Dade  Co.,  Florida,  as  to  what 
will  cure  canker  in  the  ears  of  dogs,  a  prevalent 


AILMENTS  OF  THE   DOG.  153 

and  aggravating  trouble :  Will  saj  I  have  cured 
cases  of  it  of  long  standing  by  working  boracic 
acid  well  into  their  ears,  usually  a  few  appli- 
cations does  the  work. 

There  is  a  disease  that  kills  more  dogs  in 
Florida  than  all  the  other  causes  put  together. 
It  is  called  sore  mouth,  black  tongue,  new  di- 
sease and  other  names.  I  lost  some  fine  hounds 
of  this  disease,  usually  dying  from  six  to  eight 
days  from  the  time  of  showing  disease.  Symp- 
toms of  it  are  generally  languor,  dullness  about 
the  eyes,  little  or  no  appetite,  sometimes  feverish 
and  a  dryness  about  the  mouth  and  at  other 
times  slobbers  hang  down  from  the  mouth. 

They  seem  anxious  to  drink  water  but  are 
unable  to  swallow  it.  Their  tongues  seem  to  be 
somewhat  paralyzed,  they  can  hardly  pick  up 
anything.  They  usually  want  to  roam  around 
where  they  will  not  be  molested.  I  will  give  a 
remedy  that  I  have  which  has  cured  several  cases 
of  this  disease  with  the  only  ones  I  ever  kneAv  to 
survive  it.  I  will  give  it  for  it  may  be  the  means 
of  saving  the  lives  of  some  good  dogs. 

"A  gelatin  coated  pill  or  capsule  of  quinine 
containing  five  grains  twice  a  day  for  two  days, 
then  one  each  day  for  a  week."  Also  swab  out 
their  mouth  with  the  following:  "Chlorate 
potassium  half  ounce,  murvate  tincture  iron  half 
ounce.     Put  into  one  pint  of  water  and  shake 


154  HUNTING   DOGS. 

well.  Tie  rag  or  cotton  to  stick,  letting  it  pro- 
trude over  the  end,  and  swab  out  the  mouth  two 
or  three  times  a  day." 

You  want  to  go  right  at  once  to  giving  the 
remedy  for  if  the  disease  runs  36  hours  I  don't 
think  there  is  any  cure  for  it.  The  size  doses 
mentioned  here  are  for  good-sized  dogs  as  grown 
hounds.  Smaller  ones  and  pups  reduce  accord- 
ingly. 

There  is  another  disease  that  dogs  are  some- 
times taken  with  in  this  country.  Some  say  it  is 
caused  by  ticks.  It  is  called  "staggers"  as  the 
dog  that  is  affected  with  it  staggers  as  he  walks. 
It  seems  as  though  they  can't  manage  their  hind 
parts.  Sometimes  they  break  down  and  have  to 
drag  their  hind  parts  (sled  fashion.) 

A  remedy  that  I  have  never  known  to  fail 
yet  for  that  is :  Lard  and  spirits  of  turpentine 
about  equal  parts  mixed  and  bathe  in  well  across 
the  kidneys  and  also  across  the  back  of  head 
where  it  joins  to  neck.  Usually  two  or  three  ap- 
plications makes  a  cure. 


PART  III 


DOG  LORE. 

155 


p 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

STILL  TRAILERS  VS.   TONGUERS.      MUSIC. 

ERHAPS  no  more  mooted  question  enters 

in  for   so   widely  separated  opinion  as 

the  comparative  superiority^  of  the  Still 

Trailing  dog  and  the  Tonguers. 

The  still  or  mute  trailer  is  the  deer,  rabbit 

or  night  dog  which  does  not  give  tongue  on  tlie 

trail.     He  keeps  his  silence,  until  his  game  is 

treed  or  in  sight  and  about  to  tree. 

The  tonguer  gives  forth  a  joyous  and  lusty 
cry  as  soon  as  he  makes  a  strike,  and  continues 
to  do  so  until  the  chase  terminates.  When  treed 
he  changes  his  bark,  so  that  usually  the  hunter 
can  distinguish  between  the  signals. 

We  shall  withhold  personal  opinion  as  to 
the  preferable  style,  and  present  the  arguments 
of  a  number  of  adherents  on  both  sides  of  the 
question,  allowing  the  reader  to  come  to  his  own 
conclusion. 

A  West  Virginia  'coon  expert  says,  in  favor 
of  the  tonguer:  I  have  had  several  good  'coon 
dogs,  both  tonguers  and  silent  trailers.  This  is 
a  hilly,  brushy  country,  with  lots  of  deep  hol- 
lows.   The  best  'coon  dog  I  ever  had  was  a  three- 

157 


158  HUNTING    DOGS. 

fourths  fox  hound,  one-fourth  bull  dog.  He  was 
very  fast  Avith  a  good  nose  and  a  wide  hunter. 
lie  never  struck  a.  cold  trail  and  went  straight 
ahead  all  the  time.  He  has  started  a  'coon  half 
a  mile  away  from  me  and  would  go  right  out  of 
hearing  of  me,  and  I  would  follow  the  way  T 
would  judge  the  'coon  to  travel  and  would  bo 
hours  finding  him  barking  treed.  If  he  had  been 
a  mute  trailer  I  would  have  left  him  in  the 
woods  without  the  slightest  idea  where  he  was 
and  that  is  no  fun  when  you  have  gone  three  or 
four  miles  walk  from  home  to  get  a  'coon  chase. 

Another  brother  puts  it  this  way :  Some 
hunters  prefer  a  still  trailer  on  a  cold  trail.  I 
have  handled  both  kinds  but  it  is  an  advantage 
to  the  hunter  in  keeping  in  touch  with  his  hf^und 
if  the  hound  Avill  "wind  his  horn"  occasionally 
on  a  cold  trail  for  very  often  a  wide  hound  will 
travel  a  couple  of  miles  on  a  cold  trail  before 
starting  the  game.  In  Avindy  weather,  tlio 
hunters  might  be  at  a  loss  to  know  in  which  di- 
rection his  dog  was  working,  if  he  did  not  hear 
him.  I  like  a  dog  with  a  loud,  clear  voice  and 
one  that  keeps  the  music  going  steady  once  the 
game  is  afoot." 

Still  another  gives  voice  to  his  sentiment 
thus :  I  want  a  good  tonguer,  one  that  will  give 
me  no  trouble  in  keeping  the  direction  they  are 
going.    One  that  is  a  courser,  that  is,  that  never 


STILL  TRAILERS  VS.  TONGUERS.      MUSIC.       159 

foots  around  trying  to  find  every  track  a  'coon 
makes,  but  keeps  on  finding  ahead  anywhere 
from  a  hundred  yards  to  a  quarter  of  a  mile. 
That  kind  of  a  dog  keeps  you  awake  when  cold 
trailing,  and  is  apt  to  warm  up  at  any  time. 

A  Western  tonguer  adherent  says :  For 
'coon  I  like  the  cold  trailer  that  lets  you  know 
where  he  is  going,  and  don't  believe  they  will 
hole  any  sooner  for  him  than  a  still  trailer,  and 
I  never  saw  a  full  blooded  hound  still  track. 
My  hounds  give  a  long  whoop  every  few  rods  on 
cold  trail,  and  will  ^'back  brush"  a  'coon  or  wolf 
that  is  many  hours  old  but  will  find  him,  and 
you  can  follow  up  so  as  to  keep  in  hearing.  My 
dogs  are  quite  fast  but  I  do  not  go  back  on  a 
moderately  slow  dog  to  shoot  after.  I  think 
they  circle  better. 

Fromi  Indian  Territory  comes  this  addition 
to  the  testimony :  The  thoroughbred  hound  for 
'coon  is  my  view  after  40  years'  experience.  A 
good  many  are  giving  their  idea  as  to  which  is 
best,  the  still  trailer  or  the  dog  that  gives  tongue. 
I  have  never  known  a  thoroughbred  hound  fail 
to  give  tongue  on  trail.  The  thoroughbred  has 
the  greatest  powers  of  scent  and  this  is  very 
important  as  you  do  not  have  to  travel  so  much 
ground  to  find  a  trail  that  he  can  run.  What 
we  want  when  we  go  after  'coon  is  to  start  and 
catch  all  we  can.     If  we  cannot  start  one  we 


160  HUNTING   DOGS. 

cannot  catch  liim,  sure.  I  liave  followed  behind 
over  the  same  ground  Avith  my  hound  that 
another  party  had  been  over  with  their  still 
trailers  and  caught  more  -coon  than  they. 

And  again  if  you  are  out  on  a  Avindy  night 
and  your  still  trailer  gets  a  'coon  treed  to  the 
windward  of  you,  you  might  as  well  go  home  as 
there  Avill  be  no  more  fun  for  you  if  he  is  a 
good  tree  dog. 

Now  just  one  thing  more  in  regard  to  still 
trailers  catching  'coon  on  the  ground.  That  has 
not  been  my  experience,  for  you  all  knoAv  Avhen 
3  ou  go  a  rabbit  hunting  with  a  still  trailer,  how 
soon  the  rabbit  wall  hole.  He  has  no  warning 
Avhere  the  dog  is,  so  in  trailing  'coon,  the  'coon 
will  wait  and  listen  to  the  hound  and  if  he  is  a 
fast  runner,  Mr.  'Coon  has  waited  too  long.  He 
must  make  for  the  nearest  tree  or  get  caught. 
With  the  still  trailer,  the  'coon  hears  the  leaves 
and  brush  snapping  and  without  any  more  warn- 
ing makes  for  his  home  tree. 

Hundreds  of  hunters  take  this  view,  that  is, 
favor  the  dog  which  barks  from  the  time  he  takes 
up  the  trail.  The  principal  advantage  as  has 
been  pointed  out,  is  that  the  hound  and  hunter 
may  thus  keep  in  closer  touch,  and  that  the 
hunter  is  treated  to  "music,"  so  sweet  to  the  ear 
of  the  average  enthusiast. 


STILL  TRAILERS  VS.  TONGUERS.      MUSIC.       161 

Another  considerable  following,  however,  at 
once  take  issue  and  present  an  array  of  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  the  dog  which  keeps  his  silence 

Let  us  first  consider  the  views  of  a  con- 
servative Pennsj^lvania  brother,  in  favor  of  the 
still  trailer:  I  see  a  good  many  'coon  hunters 
disagree  on  'coon  dogs,  still  trailers  vs.  tongue- 
ing  dogs.  Now  in  m^'  experience,  I  have  used 
nearly  all  kinds  of  'coon  dogs,  some  good  ones 
and  some  not  so  good.  I  think  the  difference  is 
in  the  kind  of  country  to  be  hunted,  for  hunt- 
ing in  a  very  rough  country  that  is  cut  up  by 
long  hollows  and  large  tracts  of  timber  I  prefer 
a  tongueing  dog. 

For  hunting  in  this  locality  where  it  is  all 
cut  up  into  small  fields  with  ])rincipally  all  rail 
fences  and  timber  in  small  blocks,  mostly  cut 
over  by  lumbermen  and  nothing  Irft  but  hollow 
trees  and  brush,  I  prefer  a  still  trailer  by  long 
odds,  as  the  noisy  dog  gives  the  'qoon  warning 
as  soon  as  he  strikes  the  trail,  then  Mr.  'Coon 
takes  to  the  rail  fence  or  a  jungle  of  briers  and 
old  tree  tops  and  begins  to  get  busy  and  is  soon 
in  one  of  those  hollow  trees,  where  he  is  per- 
fectly safe  as  far  as  I  am  concerned,  for  I  never 
cut  doAvn  any  den  trees. 

The  still  trailer  does  his  work  quietly  and 
is  right  on  to  the  'coon  before  it  is  aware  that 

11 


162  HUNTING   DOGS. 

the  dog  IS  after  it.  So  Mr.  'Coon  is  obliged  to 
climb  whatever  kind  of  a  tree  there  is  handy 
and  very  often  is  taken  on  the  ground. 

From  a  Central  States  hunter's  letter:  I 
used  to  be  a  dear  lover  of  a  dog  that  would  bark 
on  trail  and  raise  some  of  them,  but  now  my 
choice  is  a  still  trailer,  as  a  quiet  trailer  suits 
this  locality  best  on  account  of  the  thickly  popu- 
lated country  and  the  great  amount  of  stock 
raised,  and  a  great  many  farmers  claim  the  con- 
stant barking  of  dogs  frightens  their  sheep.  For 
that  reason  fox  chasing  is  fast  losing  its  interest 
and  foxes  are  becoming  quite  a  nuisance  in  the 
destruction  of  quail,  pheasant,  rabbit  and  such 
like  game. 

A  brother  of  conviction  on  this  question 
writes :  It  takes  patience,  perseverance  and 
skill  to  properly  train  a  hound  for  'coon.  First, 
the  dog  must  be  silent  until  he  finds  the  hot 
scent,  so  as  jiot  to  give  Mr.  'Coon  time  to  com- 
mence his  sunny  ways,  as  the  'coon  has  a  good 
knowledge  box  and  lots  of  strings  to  his  bow 
which  he  uses  to  evade  Mr.  Hound.  He  will 
swim  down  and  sometimes  up  stream  and  often 
crosses  them.  Will  never  miss  a  hollow  log 
and  comes  out  at  the  other  end,  and  will  climb 
leaning  trees  and  leap  from  them  to  others  and 
may  return  to  the  stream  for  a  good  long  swim 
before  he  will  make  quietly  for  his  den.     This 


STILL  TRAILERS  VS.  TONGUERS.      MUSIC.        163 

is  what  an  old  -coon  will  often  do  with  a  noisy 
dog,  but  with  a  swift  and  silent  one  he  will  have 
to  climb  at  once  and  stay  there. 

Another  telling  stroke  for  silence :  Regard- 
ing silent  trailers :  By  silent  trailer  I  mean 
a  dog  that  will  not  tongue  the  very  instant  he 
finds  an  old  trail  when  there  is  yet  some  scent, 
but  that  will  work  it  quietly  until  he  starts  the 
game.  I  have  often  seen  hounds  roar  on  an 
old  scent  as  well  as  on  a  new  one.  These  dogs 
have  generall}^  a  special  gait,  which  they  keep 
steady  whether  the  trail  is  cold  or  hot,  and  give 
the  full  cry  the  whole  time,  and  also  often  come 
to  a  full  stop  to  blast  away  a  few  louder  roars. 
These  dogs  dwell  too  long  on  the  scent  for  me. 
My  strain  of  dogs  will  open  only  when  they  are 
on  a  hot  scent;  if  cold,  they  will  cover  the 
ground  silently  and  fast. 

A  swift  dog  cannot  keep  up  the  full  cry, 
but  will  give  a  roar  now  and  then  and  not  bark 
often  as  it  takes  a  lot  of  wind  to  roar.  There- 
fore, a  dog  cannot  be  a  flyer  and  a  roarer  in  the 
meantime,  and  a  deer,  fox,  lynx  or  'coon,  chased 
b}^  a  fleet  and  silent  dog  as  above  mentioned,  v>  ill 
have  to  point  at  once  for  safety,  and  ^^ill  ba«^e 
no  spare  time  for  tricks.  The  lynx  or  'coon  a\  ill 
have  to  climb  in  a  hurry  the  first  tree  he  finds, 
while  with  a  noisy  dog  Mr.  'Coon  will  cominence 
with  his  tricks  as  soon  as  he  will  hear  the  music, 


164 


HUNTING   DOGS. 


and  I  maintain  and  stand  ready  to  prove  tliat  a 
silent  trailer  as  I  have  described  will  water 
more  deer  in  five  hours  in  this  country  than  a 
noisy  one  will  in  five  days. 


THE  MUSIC  OF  THE  HOUND. 
The  term  ^'miisic"  as  applied  to  the  barking 


W^ 

^^^O^^I^mP 

:A.' 

•   ■ 

\ 

\ 

A'  ■ 

"He  Was   Here  a   Moment   Ago!" 

of  trailing  hunting  dogs,  is  to  the  uninitiated 
a  gross  misnomer. 

^'Isn't  that  music  grand  I"  exclaimed  an 
enthusiast  afield. 

"T  can  hear  no  music  for  the  noise  those 
dogs  are  making/'  replied  the  other.  And  so 
it  goes. 


STILL  TRAILERS  VS.  TONGUERS.      MUSIC.       165 

The  lioiind  is  the  master  orator,  with  a  com- 
mand of  hmguage  that  varies  from  uncertainty, 
joy,  anxiety,  conviction,  eagerness  with  great 
clearness  and  truth.  His  shades  of  meaning  are 
accurately  intonated  and  perfectly  comprehend- 
ible  to  the  Avell  versed  hunter. 

The  hound  is  looked  upon  with  disdain  by 
people  who  know  not  his  capabilities,  and  is  con- 
sidered in  the  nature  of  the  dunce  of  the  tribe. 
Well  do  the  well  informed  know  that  he  is  the 
most  delicately  strung  and  the  most  highly  emo- 
tional tji^e  we  have. 

Every  note  that  he  utters  is  an  expression 
of  emotion.  Because  emotion  is  more  sus- 
ceptible to  music  than  any  other  agency,  his 
code  of  expression  is  likened  unto  notes  of 
music,  and  with  more  fidelity  than  some  instru- 
mental sound  producers  committed  in  the  name 
of  music. 

A  student  of  this  pure  and  undefiled  lan- 
guage says:  '^Each  note  represents  a  particular 
feeling,  and  the  whole  harmoniously  blended, 
tells  a  simple  story  in  a  pleasing  w^ay.'' 

Now  the  hound  takes  up  the  cold  trail.  He 
signals  his  master  —  there  are  notes  of  ex- 
pectancy and  hope  in  the  tone.  As  the  scent 
grows  warmer,  his  tone  of  hope  rises.  He 
mlakes  a  loss.  Could  anything  express  regret 
and  chagrin  any  more  plainly  than  his  doleful 


166 


HUNTING    DOGS. 


cry?  Back  on  the  trail.  Then  joy  again.  Then 
comes  the  excited,  imperative,  anxious  yet  joy- 
ous fortissimo  scale  running  when  the  quarry 
trees. 


"Here    He    Is!" 

He  who  has  not  been  schooled  in  classical 
music  sits  bored  and  alone  at  the  production  of 
an  opera,  or  yawns  and  wishes  he  were  at  home 
in  bed,  as  the  vigorous  long  haired  performer 


STILL  TRAILERS  VS.  TONGUERS.      MUSIC.       167 

spells  out  Ills  emotions  on  tlie  piano  key  board. 
So  it  is  that  one  with  no  ear  for  music  of  the 
hound  is  disgusted  thruout  the  sally  to  the 
woods  at  night,  or  the  fields  by  day.  He  can 
dwell  upon  nothing  save  the  scratches,  falls  and 
efforts  required,  all  of  which  another  forgets 
in  fixing  his  attention  on  the  action  and  music 
of  the  chase. 

Some  hounds  are  better  singers  than  others, 
just  as  is  the  case  with  people.  Also  he  must 
be  trained  to  perform  pleasinglj^  and  truly.  If 
he  is  well  trained  and  is  certain  in  his  move- 
ments it  will  be  reflected  in  his  music.  If  he 
is  faulty  in  foot  and  head  work  he  will  also  be- 
tray these  faults  in  his  voice.  xVnxious  to  cover 
his  own  shortcomings,  he  takes  to  guessing  and 
guesses  wrong.  He  becomes  a  liar,  and  his 
singing  is  like  unto  the  fellow  with  a  cracked 
voice  who  insists  on  singing  in  the  church  choir, 
thereby  annoying  everyl)ody. 

An  experienced  hunter  can  tell  by  the  song 
of  a  hound  liow  capable  he  is,  even  if  there  were 
not  many  other  ways  of  fixing  values. 

Bring  up  a  hound  under  proper  training 
methods,  and  he  is  almost  certain  to  prove  a  rare 
musician. 

If  you  are  not  versed  in  music  of  this  kind, 
you  are  unfortunate,  and  should  join  the  fox 
or  'coon  hunters  and  take  a  course  of  lessons. 
It  is  well  worth  while. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  DOG  ON  THE  TRAP  LINE 

SOME  trappers  will  take  issue  in  regard  to 
the  advaDtages  and  disadvantages  of  the 
dog  on  the  trap  line. 
The  subject  holds  sufiflcient  interest, 
liowever,  to  warrant  a  chapter,  and  if  some 
lonesome  trappers  benefit  thereb}^,  our  effort 
shall  stand  justified. 

Now,  we  will  say  first  that  there  is  as  much 
or  more  difference  in  the  man  who  handles  the 
dog  as  there  is  in  the  different  breeds  of  dogs. 
We  have  heard  men  sa^^  that  they  wanted  no 
dog  on  the  trap  line  with  them,  and  that  they 
didn't  believe  that  any  one  who  did  want  a  dog 
on  the  trap  line  knew  but  very  little  about  trap- 
ping at  the  best. 

Xow  those  are  the  views  and  ideas  of  some 
trappers,  while  my  experience  has  led  me  to 
see  it  otherwise.  One  who  is  so  constituted 
til  at  they  must  give  a  dog  the  growl  or  perhaps 
a  kick  eveiy  time  they  come  in  reiich.  will  un- 
doubtedly find  a  dog  of  but  little  use  on  the  trap 
line.  We  have  known  some  dogs  to  refuse  to  eat, 
and  T\ould  lay  out  where  the}-   could  watch  in 

168 


THE  DOG  ON  THE  TRAP  LINE.  169 

the  direction  in  which  their  mas'ter  had  gone 
and  piteonsly  howl  for  hours,  waiting  the  return 
of  the  master  and  friend.  I  have  seen  other 
dogs  that  would  take  for  the  barn  or  any  other 
place  to  get  out  of  the  way  at  the  first  sight  or 
sound  of  their  master.  This  man's  dog  is  usually 
more  attached  to  a  stranger  than  to  his  master. 
The  man  who  cannot  treat  his  dog  as  a  friend 
and  companion  will  have  good  cause  to  say  that 
a  dog  is  a  nuisance  on  the  trap  line. 

I  have  seen  men  training  dogs  for  bird 
hunting,  who  Avould  treat  the  dog  most  cruelly 
and  claim  that  a  dog  could  not  be  trained  to 
work  a  bird  succesfully  under  any  other  treat- 
ment. Though  I  have  seen  others  train  the 
same  breed  of  dogs  to  work  a  bird  to  perfection 
and  that  their  most  harsh  treatment  would  be  a 
tap  or  two  with  a  little  switch.  I  will  say  that 
one  who  cannot  understand  the  wag  of  a  dog's 
tail,  the  wistful  gaze  of  the  eye,  the  quick  lift- 
ing of  the  ears,  the  cautious  raising  of  a  foot, 
and  above  all,  treat  his  dog  as  a  friend,  need 
expect  his  dog  to  be  but  little  else  than  a 
nuisance  on  the  trap  line. 

Several  years  ago  I  had  a  partner  who  had 
a  dog,  part  stag  hound  and  the  other  part  just 
dog,  I  think.  One  day  he  (my  partner)  asked 
if  I  would  object  to  his  bringing  the  dog  to  camp, 
saying  that  his  wife  was  going  on  a  visit  and 


170  HUNTING    DOGS. 

he  had  no  place  to  leave  the  dog.  I  told  him 
that  if  he  had  a  good  dog  I  would  be  glad  to 
have  him  in  camp.  In  a  day  or  two  pard  went 
home  and  brought  in  the  dog.  Well,  when  he 
came  the  dog  was  following  along  behind  his 
master  with  tail  and  ears  drooping,  and  looking 
as  though  he  never  heard  a  kind  word  in  his 
life.  I  asked  if  the  animal  was  anv  good  and 
he  replied  that  he  did  not  know  how  good  he 
was.  I  asked  the  name  of  the  dog.  He  said, 
"Oh,  I  call  him  Pont.''  I  spoke  to  the  dog,  call- 
ing him  by  name.  He  looked  at  me  wistfully, 
wagging  his  tail.  The  look  that  dog  gave  me  said 
to  me  as  plainly  as  words  that  this  was  the  first 
kind  word  he  had  ever  heard. 

We  went  inside  and  the  dog  started  to  fol- 
low, when  his  master  in  a  harsh  voice  said,  "get 
out  of  here.''  I  said,  "where  do  you  expect  the 
dog  to  go?"  I  then  took  an  old  coat  that  was 
in  the  camp,  placed  it  in  the  corner  and  called 
gently  to  Pont,  patted  the  coat  and  told  him  to 
lay  down  on  the  coat,  which  he  did.  I  patted 
him  saying  that  is  a  good  place  for  Pont,  and 
I  can  see  that  wistful  gaze  the  dog  gave  me,  now. 
After  we  had  our  supper  I  asked  my  partner 
if  he  wasn't  going  to  fix  Pont  some  supper.  "Oh, 
after  a  while  I  will  see  if  I  can't  find  something 
for  him."  I  took  a  biscuit  from  the  table,  spread 
some  butter  on  it,  called  the  dog  to  me,  broke 


THE  DOG  ON  THE  TRAP  LINE.  171 

the  biscuit  in  pieces,  and  gave  it  to  the  dog 
from  m,y  hand;  then  I  found  an  old  basin  that 
chanced  to  be  about  the  camp  and  fixed  the  dog 
a  good  supper. 

After  the  dog  had  finished  his  supper  I  went 
to  the  coat  in  the  corner,  spoke  gently  to  Pont, 
patted  the  coat,  and  told  him  to  lay  down  on  the 
coat.  That  was  the  end  of  that,  Pont  knew  his 
place  and  took  it  without  any  further  rouble. 

The  next  morning  when  we  were  about 
ready  to  start  out  on  the  trap  line  I  asked  Pard 
what  he  intended  to  do  with  Pont.  He  said  that 
he  would  tie  him  to  a  tree  that  stood  against 
the  shanty  close  to  the  door.  We  were  going  to 
take  different  lines  of  traps.  I  said,  ''What  is 
the  harm  of  Pout's  going  with  me?''  ''All  right, 
if  you  want  him,  I  don't  want  any  dog  with  me." 
I  said,  "Am,  (that  was  Pard's  given  name,  for 
short)  I  don't  believe  the  dog  wants  to  go  with 
you  any  more  than  you  want  him  to.  Am's 
reply  was  that  he  guessed  he  would  go  all  right 
if  he  wanted  him.  I  said.  Am,  just  for  shucks, 
say  nothing  to  the  dog  and  see  which  one  he  will 
follow.  So  we  stepped  outside  the  shack  and 
the  dog  stood  close  to  me. 

I  said,  "Go  on  Am,  and  we  will  see  who  the 
dog  will  follow.'^  He  started  off  and  the  dog 
only  looked  at  him.  Am  stopped  and  told  the 
dog  to  come  on.    The  dog  got  around  behind  me. 


172  HUNTING   DOG^. 

Am  said,  "If  I  wanted  you  to  come,  you  would 
come  or  I  would  break  your  neck.''  I  said,  ''No, 
Am,  you  won't  break  Pout's  neck  while  I  am 
around;    it  would  not  look  nice." 

I  started  on  my  way,  Pont  following  after  I 
had  gone  a  little  ways.  I  spoke  to  Pont,  pat- 
ting him  on  the  head  and  told  him  what  a  good 
dog  he  was.  He  jumped  about  and  showed  more 
ways  than  one  how  pleased  he  was,  and  from 
that  day  until  we  broke  camp,  Pont  stayed  with 
me.  He  showed  plainly  tlie  disgust  he  had  for 
his  master. 

It  so  happened  that  the  first  trap  I  came  to 
was  a  trap  set  in  a  spring  run,  and  it  had  a  'coon 
in  it.  I  allowed  Pont  to  help  kill  the  'coon,  and 
after  the  'coon  was  dead,  I  patted  Pont  and  told 
him  what  great  things  he  had  done  in  c^jituring 
the  'coon.  Pont  showed  what  pride  he  took  in 
the  hunt,  so  much  so  that  he  did  not  like  to  have 
Am  go  near  the  pelt.  I  saw  from  the  veiw  first 
day  out  that  all  that  Pont  needed  was  kind 
treatment  and  proper  training  to  make  a  good 
help  on  the  trap  line. 

I  was  careful  to  let  him  know  what  I  was 
doing  when  setting  a  trap,  and  when  he  would 
go  to  smell  at  the  bait  after  a  trap  had  been 
set,  I  would  speak  to  him  in  a  firm  voice  and  let 
him  knoAv  that  T  did  not  approve  of  wha^  he  was 
doing.    When  making  blind  sets,  I  took  the  same 


THE  DOG  ON  THE  TRAP  LINE.  173 

pains  to  show  and  give  liim  to  understand  wliat 
I  was  doing.  I  would  sometimes,  after  giving 
him  fair  warning,  let  him  put  his  foot  into  a 
trap.  I  would  scold  him  in  a  moderate  manner 
and  release  him.  Then  all  the  time  I  was  re- 
setting the  trap  I  would  talk  trap  to  him,  and  hy 
action  and  word  teach  him  the  nature  of  the 
trap.  Mr.  Trapper,  please  do  not  persuade  your- 
self to  belieA'e  that  the  intelligent  dog  cannot 
understand  if  you  go  about  it  right. 

In  two  weeks  Pont  had  advanced  so  far  in 
his  training  that  I  no  longer  had  to  pay  any  at- 
tention to  him  on  accouat  of  the  traps.  The 
third  day  Pont  was  with  me  he  found  a  'coon 
that  had  escaped  with  a  trap  nearly  two  weeks 
before.  My  route  called  me  up  a  little  draw 
from  the  main  stream.  I  had  not  gone  far  up 
this  when  Pont  took  the  trail  of  some  animal 
and  began  working  it  up  the  side  of  the  hill.  I 
stood  and  watched  him  until  the  trail  took  him 
to  an  old  log,  when  Pont  began  to  sniff  at  a  hole 
in  the  log.  He  soon  raised  his  head  and  gave 
a  long  howl,  as  much  as  to  say  he  is  here  and 
I  want  help.  After  running  a  stick  in  the  hole 
I  soon  discovered  that  the  log  was  hollow.  I 
took  my  belt  axe  and  pounded  along  on  the  log 
until  I  thought  I  was  at  the  right  point  and  then 
chopped  a  hole  in  the  log,  and  as  good  luck  would 
have  it,  I  made  the  opening  right  on  to  the  'coon, 


174  HUNTING    DOG^. 

and  almost  the  first  thing  I  saw  on  looking  into 
tlie  log  was  the  trap.  Pont  soon  had  the  'coon 
out,  and  when  I  saw  it  was  the  'coon  that  had 
escaped  with  our  trap,  I  gave  Pont  praise  for 
what  he  had  done,  petting  him  and  telling  him 
of  his  good  deed,  and  he  seemed  to  understand 
it  all. 

Not  long  after  this  Am  came  into  camp  at 
night  and  reported  that  a  fox  had  broken  the 
chain  on  a  certain  trap  and  gone  off  with  the 
trap,  saying  that  he  would  take  Pont  in  the 
morning  and  see  if  he  could  find  the  fox.  In 
the  morning  when  we  were  readj^  to  go  Am  tried 
to  have  Pont  follow  him,  but  it  was  no  go,  Pont 
would  not  go  with  him.  Then  Am  put  a  rope  on 
to  him  and  tried  to  lead  him,  but  Pont  would 
sulk  and  would  not  be  led.  Then  Am  lost  his 
temper  and  wanted  to  break  Pout's  neck  again. 
I  said  that  I  did  not  like  to  have  Pont  abused 
and  that  I  would  go  along  with  him.  When  we 
came  to  the  place  where  the  fox  liad  escaped 
with  the  trap  Am  at  once  began  to  slaj)  his 
hands  and  hiss  Pont  on.  Pont  only  crouched 
behind  me  for  protection.  I  persuaded  Am  to 
go  on  down  the  run  and  look  at  the  traps  down 
that  way  while  I  and  Pont  would  look  after  the 
escaped  fox. 

As  soon  as  Am  was  gone  I  began  to  look 
about  where  the  fox  had  been  caught  and  search 


THE  DOG  ON  THE  TRAP  LINE.  175 

for  his  trail^  and  soon  Pont  began  to  wag  his 
tail.  I  merely  worked  Font's  way  and  said, 
"Has  he  gone  that  way?''  Pont  gave  me  to  un- 
derstand that  the  fox  had  gone  that  way  and 
that  he  knew  what  was  wanted.  The  trail  soon 
left  the  main  hollow  and  took  up  a  little  draft. 
A  little  way  up  this  we  found  where  the  fox 
had  been  fast  in  some  bushes  but  had  freed  him- 
self and  left  and  gone  up  the  hillside.  Pont 
soon  began  to  get  uneasy,  and  when  I  said  hunt 
him  out  Pont,  away  he  went  .  and  in  a  few 
minutes  I  heard  Pont  giye  a  long  howl  and  I 
knew  that  he  had  holed  his  game.  When  I  came 
up  to  Pont  he  was  working  in  a  hole  in  some 
shell  rocks.  I  pulled  away  some  loose  rocks  and 
could  see  the  fox,  and  we  soon  had  him  out,  and 
Pont  seemed  more  pleased  oyer  the  hunt  than 
I  was.  There  was  scarcely  a  week  that  Pont  did 
not  help  us  out  on  the  trap  line. 

Not  unfrequently  did  Pont  show  me  a  'coon 
den.  I  had  some  dififtculty  in  teaching  Pont  to 
let  the  porcupines  alone,  but  after  a  time  he 
learned  that  the^^  were  not  the  kind  of  game 
that  he  wanted,  and  he  paid  no  more  attention 
to  them. 

I  haye  had  many  different  dogs  on  the  trap 
line  with  me,  and  I  can  say  to  any  one  who  can 
understand  dog's  language,  has  a  liking  for  a 
dog  and  has  a  reasonable  amiount  of  patience 


176  HUNTING   DOGS. 

and  is  willing  to  use  it,  will  find  a  well  trained 
dog  of  much  benefit  on  the  trap  line,  and  often 
a  more  genial  companion  than  some  partners 
one  may  fall  in  with.  But  if  one  is  so  con- 
stituted that  he  must  give  his  dog  a  growl  or 
a  kick  every  time  he  comes  in  reach,  and  perhaps 
only  giye  his  dog  half  enough  to  eat  and  cannot 
treat  a  dog  as  a  friend,  then  I  say,  leave  the  dog 
off  the  trap  line. 


> 
a 

o 
o 


O 
o 

CfQ 


12 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

SLEDGE  DOGS  OF  THE  NORTH 

nOT  a  hunting  dog  in  a  strict  sense  of  the 
word,  yet  most  important  in  that  con- 
nection, is  the  sledge  dog,  in  transporta- 
tion of  hunters  and  their  outfits  to  and 
from  the  hunting  and  trapping  scenes. 

Following  is  a  first  hand,  specially  written 
article  by  Colonel  F.  H.  Buzzacott,  the  intrepid 
Arctic  explorer.  That  he  writes  from  experience 
is  evident,  which  necessarily  adds  interest  and 
value  to  his  highW  interesting  contribution. 

What  the  Indian  pony  is  to  the  plain 
Indian,  the  Pack  Horse  or  Mule  is  to  the  White 
Settler,  Hunter  or  Trapper,  the  Sledge  Dog  or 
Reindeer  is  to  natives  of  the  distant  and  Far 
North.  An  old  saying  among  frontiersmen  is 
that  a  white  man  will  abandon  a  horse  as  broken 
down  and  utterly  unable  to  go  when  a  Mexican 
Avill  take  that  same  horse  and  make  him  go  a 
hundred  miles  further,  while  an  Indian  after 
all  of  this  will  mount  and  ride  him  for  a  week 
still. 

With  all  Indians,  natives  of  the  north  or 
Esquimaux,    knives    are    luxuries,    ponies    and 

178 


[ 


SLEDGE   DOGS  OF   THE   NORTH.  179 

dogs,  necessities.  Yet,  for  all  that,  they  are 
never  stabled,  curried,  washed,  blanketed,  shod, 
seldom  protected  or  even  fed.  When  the  icy 
cold  wintry  blasts  sweep  the  drifting  snows  over 
plain  and  valley  and  buries  under  his  white 
mantle  his  food  he  either  digs  for  it,  finds  and 
eats  what  he  can,  or  starves. 

In  my  plains  experience  with  the  Indians 
or  in  the  Polar  Regions  with  the  natives  of  the 
north  or  Esquimaux,  I  have  obserA^ed  that  the 
love  of  an  Indian  for  his  ponies,  an  Esquimaux 
for  his  dogs  or  Laplander  for  his  reindeer  con- 
sists in  seeing  how  much  he  really  can  get  out 
of  them  with  the  least  trouble  or  effort  to  him. 

I  have  seen  the  Indians  or  natives  of  the 
northwest  and  the  Esquimaux  of  Hudson's  and 
Baffin's  Bay,  Greenland,  etc.,  drive  half  starved 
dogs  to  the  sledge  until  they  fell  or  froze,  only  to 
be  eaten  by  their  masters  or  mates,  whom  for  a 
lifetime  they  had  pulled  with  or  served  faith- 
fully. Necessity  recognizes  no  law — man  is  but 
an  animal  himself  —  and  in  the  struggle  for  life 
or  gain  it  is  everywhere  but  the  ''Survival  of  the 
Fittest''  or  strongest  and  passing  of  the  weak, 
be  it  white  man  or  Indian. 

The  best  of  the  ^Sledge  Dogs  of  the  North" 
are  to  be  found  in  Greenland  or  Siberia,  "Sam- 
oyed"  dogs  or  its  Esquimaux  cousin,  the  "Immit 
Dog",  used  by  explorers  and  Esquimaux  gener- 


180  HUNTING    D0C9. 

ally.  Those  Avitli  short,  thick  hair,  medium 
buikl,  size  and  full  breed  are  considered  the  best 
for  all  around  vrork.  They  will  exist  and  work 
well  on  one  pound  of  food  per  day,  or  a  big 
feast  once  a  week.  Their  food  consists  mostly 
of  dried  and  fresh  fish,  carrion  or  fresh,  or,  if 
witli  explorers,  dog  biscuit  added. 

They  closely  resemble  a  wolf  and  howl  like 
one.  Are  of  yarious  colors  and  sizes,  iron  grey 
predominating.  They  ayerage  about  two  feet 
four  inches  in  lieight  by  three  feet  six  inches  in 
length,  of  unusually  light  weight  for  their  size, 
owing  to  the  bristle  out  appearance  of  their  hair 
Ayhich  adds  to  their  real  size.  As  a  rule  females 
are  killed  at  birth,  except  those  few  to  suffice  for 
breeding.  Commence  training  at  six  months  to 
a  year  old  and  when  two  or  three  years  old  and 
seasoned  to  work  are  considered  prime  and  pref- 
erable for  long  heayy  distant  sledging  and  hunt- 
ing. 

The  best  trained  of  the  team  (eight,  twelye 
or  more  in  number)  is  selected  as  a  leader.  They 
are  guided  by  yoice  and  Ayhip,  a  loud  ''Brr-Brr" 
taking  the  place  of  our  "Gee"  in  starting  and  the 
word  "Sass-Sass"  used  as  "Whoa."  "Hi"  and 
"He"  for  right  and  left,  "Ho"  to  correct,  or 
speed,  as  they  are  trained,  of  course.  A  good 
leader  possesses  the  quality  of  rarely  failing  to 
lead  one  safely  oyer  an}^  route  once  trayeled  by 


SLEDGE   DOGS  OF   THE   NORTH.  181 

them,  bringing  you  safely  to  tbe  place  even  if 
l)uried  under  the  snow. 

They  eat  eacli  other's  flesh  wolf -like  with 
gusto  and  will  tear  their  fellows  to  pieces  in 
fight  or  injury,  unless  beaten,  torn  apart  or  sepa- 
rated by  a  man  of  whom  they  are  afraid.  They 
hate  water  in  winter  as  much  as  tliey  love  it  in 
summer  when  they  frequent  the  salmon  streams 
and  support  themselves  b^^  fishing,  pounce  upon 
ncaring  fish  of  any  size  that  approach  them, 
much  as  does  the  bear,  two  of  them  even  tackling 
an  immensely  big  fish  and  fighting  to  secure  and 
bring  it  to  shore.  As  bear,  muskox,  or  reindeer, 
dogs,  a  pack  of  them  will  invariably  round  up, 
hold  or  drive  anything  sighted  within  reason- 
able distance  so  long  as  the  hunters  will  follow 
on,  needing  but  little  urging,  as  they  realize  the 
prospect  of  a  ^'good  big  feast,''  hence  get  busy 
to  the  end ;  younger  dogs  often  paying  the  pen- 
alty with  their  lives  but  seldom  older  ones. 

As  a  rule,  rawhide  or  seal  harness  is  used 
in  the  far  north,  Alaska  and  Greenland  and  by 
the  Esquimaux  but  with  the  explorers  these  con- 
sist mostly  of  canvas  collar  like  attachments 
made  of  fourfold  strips,  two  of  which  pass  or 
slip  over  the  critter's  back,  the  other  two  be- 
tween the  forelegs,  the  whole  united  to  a  trace 
and  this  in  turn  fastened  by  a  toggle,  hook  or 
ring  to  the  sledge  or  drag  rope.     The  dogs  are 


182  HUNTING   DOGS. 

hitched  to  this,  either  side  of  the  drag,  or  alter- 
nately single  or  double,  distant  a  few  feet  from 
each  other.  The  guiding  dog  or  leader  is  ahead 
leading  while  the  others  follow.  Where  canvas 
harness  or  steel  wire  rope  is  used  on  the  drag 
hj  ^'Expeditions"  it  is  because  it  lessens  the 
chances  of  the  luirness  being  stolen,  chewed  or 
eaten,  when  rations  become  scarce. 

In  heavy  traveling  they  are  used  and  hitched 
double  for  fast  travel,  alternate  and  single  as 
exigencies  require  and  will  travel  from  10  to  50 
miles  a  day  according  to  conditions  of  road,  load, 
snow,  ice,  etc.  When  hitched  or  prior  to  it,  they 
are  usually  lightly  fed  so  as  to  bring  them  to 
reach  their  destination  and  '^Tether,''  loafers 
soon  learn  that  they  must  earn  their  food.  At 
times  when  worked  hard,  they  get  off  feed,  so 
to  speak,  sulk  and  refuse  to  come  up  to  a  drag. 
In  which  case  the  remaining  dogs  must  do  the 
work  and  rarely  do  tliey  fail  to  whine,  show  tlieir 
contempt  for  such  action  and  punish  "His  Nibs'^ 
at  the  first  chance  later  on,  even  pining  to  get 
at  him,  sled  and  all,  as  they  observe  him  folloAv- 
ing  behind  alone. 

On  hard  pulls,  or  uneven  drags,  they  play 
out  easily,  act  mulish,  refusing  to  budge  until 
the  sled  is  started  or  at  variance  with  each  other. 
Otlierwise,  the  start  is  a  steady  pull  until  well 
under  way.    A  good  team  double  will  pull  easily 


SLEDGE   DOGS  OF    THE   NORTH.  183 

a  load  of  1,000  pounds  or  more-  single  about  one- 
half,  depending  largely  on  condition  of  them- 
selves and  the  road  they  travel.  The  Esqui- 
maux seldom  spares  them  or  the  whip,  "Brring" 
them  on  and  "Hi-ying"  if  needs  be. 

About  eight  hours'  work  constitutes  a  day's 
travel  or  they  go  until  played  out,  the  latter 
case  most  likely.  \¥hen  traveling  they  are  fairly 
obedient  and  preserve  a  steady  equal  pulling 
that  occasionally  is  relieved  by  a  jerky,  gallop- 
like pace.  Well  trained  dogs  preserve  their  pace 
and  tug  on  the  harness  for  hours  at  a  time.  Usu- 
ally they  stop  ever^^  hour  or  so  for  breathing 
spells  as  the  atmosphere  in  those  regions  winds 
them  easily.  If  traveling  fast  on  ice  and  one 
falls  or  slips,  he  is  dragged  along,  half  strangled, 
until  he  regains  his  feet,  place  and  position  in 
line  again,  or,  becoming  tangled  he  is  loosened 
up.  By  this  time  he  has  been  snapped  a  few 
times  by  the  dogs  about  him  as  if  to  punish  him 
for  his  carelessness. 

Ordinarily,  the  leader  responds  promptly 
to  the  driver's  voice,  guiding,  turning,  halting 
or  increasing  speed  at  the  given  command. 
When,  however,  they  scent  game,  they  become 
difficult  to  manage,  requiring  utmost  application 
of  the  whip  to  keep  the  trail  or  direction  and  this 
invariably  ends  in  confusion,  hopeless  tangle 
and  upset  sledge. 


184 


HUNTING   DOGS. 


Handlinin:?  feeding,  training  calls  for  more 
judgment  and  patience  than  skill,  driving  especi- 
ally. Tlie}^  refuse  to  cross  apparently  weak  yet 
tested  ice,  pressure  ridges,  ice  or  snow  cracks 
and  mulelike,  will  make  a  plunging  jump  over  a 
depression    (when   in   trace)    which   ordinarily 


Sledge  Dog. — Photo  From  Life. 


vould  not  call  for  a  leap  at  all.  They  require 
vratchfulness  on  the  part  of  the  driver  over  cross 
country  or  Avhen  not  following  the  trail,  lest 
they  sheer  off  from  a  given  direction  or  straight 
line. 

When  following  the  trail  much  confidence  is 
vested  in  the  leader  and  should  perchance  it 
strike  a  blind  or  cross  trail,  it  will  howl  to  at- 


SLEDGE   DOGS  OF   THE   NORTH.  185 

tract  the  attention  of  the  driver  and  by  these 
means  verify  directions,  as  if  to  ask  if  it  is  lend- 
ing right.  In  case  it  loses  the  track  it  will  slow 
up,  whine,  run  up  or  ''criss-cross  its  tracks, 
sniffing  and  smelling  in  an  anxious,  expectant 
way,  until  it  finds  or  is  led  correct,  when  it 
hov>ls  with  delight  and  pulls  off  "like  blazes" 
again. 

They  have  strange  likes  and  dislikes.  As  en- 
tire pack  will  punish  one  who  incurs  the  dis- 
pleasure at  times  to  an  extent  of  crippling  or  kill- 
ing each  other.  If  a  strange  dog  comes  amongst 
them  he  is  pretty  sure  to  get  "mauled''  or  his 
scraping  abilities  put  to  test,  which  usually  ends 
in  a  free-for-all  fight,  catch  as  catch  can  rulci'. 
predominating. 

When  in  harness  training  a  young  dog  gets 
punished  frequently  by  its  mates  for  any  awk- 
wardness it  shows.  Old  dogs  especially  show 
contempt  for  a  new  or  strange  dog  which  takes 
its  mate's  place,  be  it  pup  or  otherwise,  and  will 
often  sulk  if  their  place  is  changed.  Each  seems 
to  think  his  place  is  best,  the  leader  especially 
being  particularly  proud  of  his  honored  position 
in  "Dogdom."  As  a  rule,  existing  difficulties 
or  arguments  in  harness  are  stored  up  until  that 
day's  march  is  over,  because  of  fear  of  punish- 
ment from  the  driver,  but  as  soon  as  turned 
loose,  they  settle  the  difficulty  of  the  day  by  an- 


186  HUNTING   DOGS. 

other  scrap,  in  wliicli  often  one  bunch  will  par- 
ticipate in,  'take  sides,"  and  chew  np  each  other, 
until  all  pitch  in,  aiming  to  settle  things  some- 
how. If  too  tired,  thej  await  the  morrow.  As 
a  rule,  the  best  sledge  dogs  are  the  poorest  scrap- 
pers (so  we  have  to  be  partial  at  times)  especi- 
ally to  the  leader  who  is  usually  the  most  intelli- 
gent ;  hence  fayored. 

In  a  pinch,  when  game  and  rations  are 
scarce,  they  make  good  eating,  of  course,  being- 
sacrificed.  At  these  times,  their  peculiar  sayage 
nature  asserts  itself,  when  you  kill  one  for  food, 
b^'  signs  of  joy,  ratlier  than  fear  for  they  seem 
to  be  deyoid  of  sympathy  or  unaffected  by  the 
scene.  Their  flesh  is  pale,  tender  and  tasteless 
much  like  rabbit,  bloodless  and  poor,  and  they 
will  eat  anything  from  a  tin  can  label  to  Kip- 
ling's '^Rag,  Bone  or  Hank  of  Hair."  When 
meat  is  plenty,  they  take  on  flesh  and  fatten 
quickly  but  seldom  does  this  happen  as  the  Es- 
quimaux says,  ''Him  no  good,  lazy,  much  fat." 

Wolf-like,  stolen  food  tastes  better  and  one 
will  leaye  his  own  ration  to  steal  a  fello^y■s  equal 
share  and  risking  by  his  greediness  both,  as  it  is 
stolen  in  turn  by  another.  Their  thieying  pro- 
pensities are  great,  a  tin  can  of  meat,  skin  boots, 
oil  lamp,  old  soup  kettle,  or  their  own  harness  if 
sealskin  or  ra^yhide. 

Tied,    penned    up    or    left    harnessed    any 


SLEDGE   DOGS  OF    THE    NORTH. 


187 


length  of  time,  they  assert  their  belief  in  "Lib- 
erty and  Equality"  by  chewing  their  way  to  free- 
dom if  it  takes  a  week  to  do  it.     As  a  rule,  the 


Rough  and  Ready  Sledge  Dog. 


dogs  respect  a  fenmle  and  will  seldom  molest 
her.  These  give  birth  to  a  litter  of  from  4  to  8 
pups  which  are  generally  killed  at  birth,  unless 


188  HUNTING   DOGS. 

a  rcarcitv  of  tliem,  fat  ''puppj  dog''  being  with 
the  paimch  of  the  reindeer  considered  a  regular 
"Delmonico-'  dish.  The  average  usefulness  of 
tlieir  existence  is  about  6  to  8  years,  the  old  dogs 
following  the  same  road  as  fat  puppies,  after 
their  usefulness  has  seen  the  limit.  Fall  bred 
(logs  are  best.  Alaskan  dogs  are  larger  and 
heavier  and  the  same  rule  applies  to  Labrador 
species,  but  as  thej  are  of  mixed  breed,  lazier 
and  require  more  food  they  are  only  used  to  ad- 
vantage where  they  belong  —  at  home. 

As  a  rule,  they  exist,  breed  and  sleep  in  the 
open,  the  soft  side  of  a  drifting  snow  bank  being 
a  luxury,  especially  if  it  drifts  about  them  up  to 
the  muzzle,  and  it  is  only  vacated  when  danger- 
ous. They  seek  the  warmest  spots  they  can  find, 
a  rope  coil,  rag  or  paper,  or  even  a  tin  can  to 
lie  on,  in  preference  to  ice  or  hard  snow.  Fail- 
ing in  this,  they  will  dig  a  hole  in  the  soft  snow 
and  bury  themselves  in  this,  lying  one  on  top 
of  the  other  in  bitter  weather.  The  best  of 
Arctic  or  Polar  dogs,  while  they  withstand  cold 
to  surprising  degree,  nevertheless,  suffer  with 
the  cold  and  danger  of  freezing,  especially  in 
winter  time  Avhen  food  is  scarce  or  frozen  and 
snow  serves  to  quench  thirst,  a  wet  foot  or  crip- 
pled limb  being  the  first  to  suffer.  In  bitter 
weather  I  have  seen  them  roll  and  run  to  main- 
tain circulation.     They  huddle  together,  shiver- 


SLEDGE   DOGS  OF    THE   NOllTil.  189 

ing,  bold  up  tlieir  paws  and  wliine  pIlIiiiHy  and 
appealingiy. 

They  receive  a  kind  word  hy  a  sliow  of  teeth 
instead  of  a  Avag  —  indeed,  are  anj^thiug  but 
friendly,  except  at  "chnck"  time  and  then  limit 
it  to  the  grub  with  a  few  exceptions,  of  course. 
Most  of  them,  however,  Indian-like,  believe  in 
the  old  maxim  "Familiarity  breeds  contempt" 
and  thus  they  treat  kindness  with  suspicion  and 
turn  tail  as  if  it  preceded  work  or  a  licking  and 
perhaps  both. 

If  left  alone  any  length  of  time,  one  will 
start  up  a  coyote-like  howl  and  all  join  in  one 
after  the  other  in  the  chorus  that  takes  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  man  Avith  a  "big  stick''  to  quell. 
If  left  alone  they  will  keep  it  up  for  hours,  stop- 
ping as  it  commenced  by  degrees,  apparently 
without  reason.  They  are  fed  when  circum- 
stances permit  and  if  permitted,  will  gorge 
themselves  to  the  point  of  bursting,  eating 
enough  to  last  a  week  and  camping  alongside  of 
it  until  even  the  bones  are  cleaned  up  and  not 
enough  left  to  feed  a  fly.  Indian-like,  however, 
they  are  always  on  hand  for  the  next  meal,  hun- 
gry again.  When  traveling,  they  are  fed  a  little 
daily,  but  when  not,  exist  on  wind,  bones  and 
Ip'cks,  fish  offal  and  refuse  thrown  out,  or  hunt 
for  themselves  like  wolves,  after  Arctic  hares, 
lemmings  or  anything  they  can  find. 


190  HUNTING   DOGS. 

In  winter  time,  dogs  are  often  the  main  food 
of  the  Esquimaux  and  as  fat  or  oil  is  generally 
scarce,  are  eaten  raw  instead  of  cooked,  oil  be- 
ing too  valuable  at  this  time  to  be  wasted  on 
dog.  Its  taste  to  the  white  man  largely  depends 
on  one's  hunger  or  digestive  cravings.  If  half- 
starved,  it  is  voted  ^'just  excellent."  If  not,  it  is 
^^just  dog,"  that's  all.  Yet,  if  the  pangs  of  hun- 
ger gnaw  one's  vitals,  repugnance,  position  in 
life,  creed,  superstition,  opinions,  likes  and  dis- 
likes, self-respect,  all  give  way  to  the  cravings 
of  an  empty  stomach;  especially  in  that  track- 
less great  Avhite  desert  called  the  "Distant  Polar 
Regions." 

Such  is  the  life  and  existence  of  these,  the 
sledge  dogs  of  the  north. 


PART  IV. 


THE.  HUNTING  DOG  FAMILY. 

191 


O 
O 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

AMERICAN  FOX  HOUNDS 

CHOSE  who  make  a  science  of  breeding 
and  training  fox  hounds,  and  indulge  in 
the  chase  for  sport  only,  have  a  nearly 
identical  standard  of  the  ideal  the  coun- 
try over.  Even  he  who  chases  the  fox  for  profit 
may  find  valuable  information  and  interest  in 
such  a  standard,  even  though  they  may  be  con- 
vinced that  their  hounds,  though  without  pedi- 
gree, are  capable  dogs. 

At  a  gathering  of  the  foremost  sportsmen 
of  this  country,  in  1905,  the  following  standard 
was  fixed  as  ideal : 

The  American  foxhound  should  be  smaller 
and  lighter  in  muscle  and  bone,  than  the  English 
foxhound.  Dogs  should  not  be  under  21  nor 
over  23^  in.,  nor  weigh  more  than  57  pounds. 
Bitches  should  not  be  under  20  nor  over  22-J 
inches  nor  weigh  more  than  50  pounds. 

The  head  (value  15)  should  be  of  medium 
size  with  m,uzzle  in  harmonious  proportions. 

The  skull  should  be  rounded  cross-wise  Avith 
a  slight  peak,  line  of  profile  nearly  straight,  with 
sufficient  stop  to  give  symmetry  to  the  head. 
13  193 


194  HUNTING   DOGS. 

Ears  sliould  meet  to  Avitliin  one  inch  of  end 
of  muzzle,  should  be  thin,  soft  in  coat,  low  set 
and  closely  pendant. 

Eyes  soft,  medium  size,  and  varying  shades 
of  brown.  Nostrils  slightly  expanded.  The 
head  as  a  whole  should  denote  hound  character. 

The  neck  (value  5)  must  be  clean  and  of 
good  length,  slightly  arched,  strong  where  it 
springs  from  the  shoulders  and  gradually  taper- 
ing to  the  head,  without  trace  of  throatiness. 

The  shoulders  (value  10)  must  be  of  suf- 
ficient length  to  give  leverage  and  power,  well 
sloped,  muscular,  but  with  clean  run  and  not 
too  broad. 

Chest  and  back  ribs  (value  10).  The  chest 
should  be  deep  for  lung  space,  narrower  in  pro- 
portion to  depth  than  the  English  hound,  28 
inches  in  a  23^-inch  hound  being  good.  Well 
sprung  ribs,  back  ribs  should  extend  well  back, 
a  three-inch  flank  alloAving  springiness. 

Back  and  loin  (value  10)  should  be  broad, 
short  and  strong,  slightly  arched. 

The  hindquarters  and  lower  thighs  (value 
10)  must  be  well  muscled  and  very  strong.  The 
stifle  should  be  low  set,  not  too  much  bent,  nor 
3'et  too  straight,  a  happy  nijedium. 

The  elbows  (value  5)  should  set  straight, 
neither  in  nor  out. 

Legs  and  feet   (value  20)   are  of  great  im- 


AMERICAN  FOX  HOUNDS.  195 

portance.  Legs  should  be  straight  and  placed 
squarel}^  under  shoulder,  having  plenty  of  bone 
without  clumsiness,  strong  pasterns  well  stood 
upon.  Feet  round,  cat  like,  not  too  large,  toes 
well  knuckled,  close  and  compact,  strong  nails, 
pad  thick,  tough  and  indurated  by  use. 

Color  and  coat  (value  5.  Black,  white  and 
tan  are  preferable,  though  the  solids  and  various 
pies  are  permissible.  Coat  should  be  rough  and 
course  without  being  wiry  or  shaggy. 

Symmetry  (value  5).  The  form  of  the 
hound  should  be  harmonious  thruout.  He  should 
show  his  blood  quality  and  hound  character  in 
every  aspect  and  movement.  If  he  scores  high 
in  other  properties,  symmetry  is  bound  to  follow. 

The  stern  (value  5)  must  be  strong  in  bone 
at  the  root,  of  a  medium  length,  carried  like  a 
sabre  on  line  with  the  spine  and  must  have  a 
good  brush.  A  docked  stern  shall  not  disqualify, 
but  sim^ply  handicap  according  to  extent  of 
docking. 

SUMMARY. 

Head  15,  neck  5,  shoulders  10,  chest  and 
back  ribs  10,  hindquarters  and  lower  thighs  10, 
back  and  loin  10,  elbows  5,  legs  and  feet  20, 
color  and  coat  5,  stern  5,  symmetry  5.  Total  100. 


196 


HUNTING    DOGS. 


THE   GREY    HOUND. 


Without  doubt,  the  grev  hound,  bred  almost 
solely  for  speed,  is  the  fleetest  runner  on  earth. 

In  a  general  way  it  may  be  said  that  the 
grey  hound  pursues  by  sight  only,  yet  some  ex- 


Good   Specimens. 

perienced  hunters  Avill  contend  that  they  can 
follow  a  fairly  warm  trail  successfully,  if  trained 
to  it.  It  is  not  natural  for  them,  however, 
to  take  and  follow  an  old  track  until  the  game 
is  started,  but  what  they  lack  in  that  way  is 
made  up  in  speed. 

It  has  been  a  favorite  practice  for  decades 


AMERICAN  FOX  HOUNDS.  197 

to  take  advantage  of  his  speed,  by  crossing  with 
other  strains,  resulting  in  courage,  tenacity  and 
trailing  powers,  very  useful  in  several  kinds 
of  hunting. 

This  type  of  dog,  either  pure  bred  or  crossed 
lends  himself  readily  to  deer,  wolf,  fox  or  rabbit 
chasing,  and  is  especially  successful  if  hunted 
in  company  with  good  trailers.  The  latter  start 
the  game  when  the  grey  hound  goes  forward  and 
effects  a  capture,  or  so  interferes  with  progress, 
that  the  other  dogs  come  up  and  finish  the  work. 

A  bit  of  practical  talk  on  the  subject  from 
the  pen  of  a  grey  hound  enthusiast  is  appended : 

I  have  alwa^^s  had  grey  hounds.  If  they  are 
let  run  with  the  track  hounds  when  they  are 
young  they  soon  learn  to  take  a  track,  run 
away  from  the  pack  and  catch  the  game.  I  have 
some  one-half  grey  hound  and  one-half  blood- 
hound or  fox  hound.  No  better  dogs  living. 
Great  fighters,  stay  as  long  as  the  game  runs. 
This  kind  are  good  bear  dogs.  I  keep  live  'coon 
to  train  pups  on  and  commence  to  train  them  at 
4  or  5  months  old.  The  older  they  get  the  longer 
races  I  give  them. 

SCOTCH  DEER  HOUND. 

An  excellent  deer  hound  is  half  scotch  deer 
hound  and  one-half  grey  hound,  and  I  will  say 
there  is  no  breed  called  stag  hound,  writes  a 


198  HUNTING   DOGS. 

well  informed  Cana^lian  deer  hunter.  All  tliat 
claim  that  name  are  overgrown  fox  hounds  used 
in  England  for  that  purpose.  Thompson  Gra;- 
in  ''Dogs  of  Scotland,"  written  in  1S90,  says  tha^ 
the  first  mention  of  the  Scotch  deer  hound  wa^^, 
in  'Titcotts  History  of  Scotland."  It  is  of  the 
same  famih^  as  the  gre}^  hound  and  has  been 
spoken  of  b}'  early  writers  as  the  Kougli  Scotch 
Grey  Hound. 

He  is  more  massive,  is  about  three  inches 
taller  than  the  grey  hound  and  has  a  rough  coat. 
His  vocation  is  to  course  the  stag  and  the  deer. 
He,  like  the  grey  hound  must  not  use  his  nose 
when  hunting  his  quarry  and  for  this  reason 
great  speed  is  absolutely  necessary.  His  head 
is  somewhat  longer  and  wider  across  the  skull 
than  that  of  the  grey  hound  and  the  hair  on  the 
sides  of  the  lip  form  a  mustache.  Small  ears 
are  a  sign  of  good  breeding.  They  should  be 
set  on  high  and  at  the  back  of  the  skull  and  be 
semi-erect  when  at  attention. 

The  coat  is  hard  in  texture,  without  any 
silkiness.  The  color  most  admired  is  blue 
grizzle  with  its  various  shades  l)ut  brindle  and 
fawn,  eitlier  liglit  or  dark  are  admirable.  There 
should  b(^  no  ^^']lit(^  on  any  part  of  the  body.  As 
to  formation,  he  sliould  be  made  on  the  same 
lines  as  the  grey  hound. 


AMERICAN  FOX  HOUNDS. 


199 


THE  BLOOD   HOUND. 


The  original  and  oldest  of  the  hound  family 
is  the  blood  hound.     He  takes  his  name  from 


Blood  Hound. 


having  originally  been  used  to  track  wounded 
animals  to  their  lairs.    Their  fame  to  the  public 


200  HUNTING  DOGS. 

is  based  on  their  use  as  man  trailers,  which 
gained  more  notice  at  about  the  time  of  the 
Civil  War  than  before  or  since.  There  is  con- 
siderable question  as  to  their  infallibility  and 
powers  in  this  direction.  While  nearly  any  dog 
can,  if  he  wishes,  trail  a  human  being,  and  while 
the  blood  hound  is  the  best  scented  of  the  dog 
family,  it  is  rather  doubtful  if  all  the  things  that 
have  been  written  about  the  blood  hounds  and 
slave  fugitives  are  true. 

Bloodhounds  are  known  under  several 
names,  such  as,  Cuban,  Siberian,  St.  Hubert 
blood  hounds,  etc. 

Civil  authorities  and  detectives,  the  country 
over,  employ  the  blood  hounds  to  trail  criminals, 
or  rather  ostensibly  to  bring  them  to  justice. 
Rarely  do  they  succeed  in  actually  capturing  a 
fleeing  culprit,  however,  if  he  has  passed  over 
sections  trampled  over  by  many  other  people. 

The  blood  hound,  as  has  been  mentioned 
before,  is  quite  useful  in  breeding  hunting  dogs 
for  specific  purposes. 

Some  light  of  experience  is  furnished  us  by 
a  Pennsylvania  breeder,  as  follows : 

In  regard  to  blood  hounds  or  a  cross  be- 
tween the-  blood  hound  and  fox  hound,  they  are 
good  hunters  on  wolf,  fox,  'coon  and  bear.  In 
fact,  they  are  all  around  good  dogs,  great 
fighters  on  game.     They  are  tough,  active,  will 


AMERICAN  FOX  HOUNDS.  201 

stand  a  long  run  and  come  home  and  not  seem 
to  be  tired. 

The  blood  hound  is  a  good  man  as  well  as 
an  animal  hunter.  They  will  stand  the  longest 
races  and  not  tire.  In  fifty  years  breeding  from 
the  best,  these  dogs  are  all  that  are  needed  in 
a  hound  dog. 

On  the  same  subject  a  Western  brother  says  ; 

I  have  bred  dogs  for  55  years  from  most  of 
the  kennels  in  this  country,  England  and  other 
countries.  I  like  English  blood  hound  or  one- 
half  hound  and  one-half  fox  hound.  They  are 
sharp  scented,  fast  runners,  good  stayers,  good 
fighters  and  game  for  fox  and  wolf  hunting. 


CO 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE    BEAGLE      DACHSHUND    AND    BASSET     HOUNDS. 

"A  few  3^ears  ago  I  gave  up  the  large  hound 
for  the  beagle  hound,  as  I  hunt  rabbit  a  good 
deal  now  and  I  find  it  good  sport  with  the  right 
kind  of  beagles/'  writes  a  beagle  enthusiast  of 
the  middle  west,  ''but,  of  course,  they  are  just 
like  fox  houuds  or  any  other  breed  of  dogs,  many 
of  them  would  be  better  training  themselves  i:i 
the  happy  hunting  grounds.  The  main  thing  is 
to  get  the  right  strain  of  beagles,  of  which  there 
are  several.  Champion  Bannerman,  imported 
by  J.  Crane,  Esq.,  about  1884,  has  had  a  great 
influence  towards  producing  the  smaller  size. 
Of  course  every  man  to  his  opinion  as  to  size. 
Some  prefer  the  small,  while  others  the  larger 
size.  The  importation  by  General  Eowett,  of 
Carlinsville,  111.,  which  has  been  known  since 
as  the  Rowett  strain,  when  it  comes  to  beauty 
and  hunting  qualities  combined,  are  very  good, 
in  fact,  are  among  the  best.  The  blue  cap  strain 
in^ported  into  the  country  by'  Captain  William 
Ausheton  from  the  kennels  of  Sir  Arthur  Ash- 
burnham  along  in  the  seventies.  This  strain 
seems  to  have  a  stronger  love  for  the  scent  of 
the  rabbit  than  anything  else. 


204  HUNTING   DOGS. 

By  crossing  strains  it  is  possible  to  get 
beagles  with  a  fierce  hunting  disposition,  that 
\\ill  hunt  and  fight  anything  that  wears  fur, 
keen  scent  (remember  the  beagle  is  strong  in 
the  blood  hound  blood)  wide  chest,  heavy  bone, 
round  fat  feet  that  can  put  up  a  hard  day's  work 
every  day. 

THE  DACHSHUND 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  William  Loeffler 
for  the  following  comprehensive,  entertaining 
special  article  on  the  little  understood  Dachs- 
hund: 

Of  the  many  breeds  of  dogs  in  existence, 
none  have  gained  more  friends  and  won  more 
hearts  and  a  stronger  hold  in  American  home 
in  a  comparative  short  time  than  the  Dachs- 
hund. 

Those  Avho  have  not  seen  a  single  specimen 
and  are  entireh-  ignorant  regarding  his  charac- 
teristics, know  him  by  continued  caricature. 

For  centuries  back  he  was  the  most  favored 
pet  of  German  aristocracy,  carefully  guarded 
and  upheld  in  his  purity,  and  it  was  only  occa- 
sionally that  an  outsider  received  a  specimen. 
A  gift  of  a  Dachshund  was  considered  a  token 
of  high  esteem. 

Tliough  he  has  not  lost  a  particle  of  his 
prestige  in  this  respect,  and  has  strong  admirers 


in 


206  HUNTING   DOGS. 

in  the  royal  families  of  Europe,  he  is  rapidly 
becomiDg  a  cosmopolitan;  with  his  little  crooked 
legs  he  now  travels  over  many  lands,  making 
friends  wherever  he  lands. 

xVt  all  times  Dachshunde  were  in  charge  of 
professional  hunters,  who  developed  their  in- 
stinct for  hunting  wonderfully,  and  the  courage, 
endurance  and  strength  exhibited  in  pursuing 
tlieir  giuiie  is  astonishing  and  marvelous. 

Tlie  long  body,  short  and  muscular  legs,  tlie 
entire  strength  being  centered  in  his  deep  chest, 
indicate  that  he  is  intended  for  work  under 
ground. 

To  attack  a  badger  or  a  fox  in  his  own  bur- 
row requires  braver}^  of  a  high  degree,  especially 
as  the  dog  is  in  most  cases  much  smaller  than 
his  game.  He  relies  upon  the  strength  of  his 
jaAvs  and  his  wonderfully  developed  set  of  teeth 
for  his  work  and  does  not  snap  or  bite  at  ran- 
dom, but  his  attack  is  usually  well  aimed  and 
effective. 

The  game-keeper's  duty  is  to  destroy  all  ene- 
mies of  the  game  intrusted  to  his  care,  conse- 
quently foxes,  badgers,  minks  and  other  vermin 
are  at  all  times  subject  to  extennination,  and 
the  Dachshund  is  his  untiring  and  able  assistant 
in  this  work. 

His  scenting  power  is  of  the  keenest  and  he 
will  locate  his  prey  very  quickly  when  he  strikes 


THE   BEAGLE,   DACHSHUND^   ETC.  207 

a  trail.  A  fox  generally  leaves  his  burrow  when 
the  dog  enters  his  domain  and  falls  a  victim  to 
the  gunner's  aim;  not  so  with  the  badger,  who 
crawl  into  a  corner  of  his  burrow,  and  two  dogs 
in  most  cases  attack  him  from  different  entries, 
and  finally  crowd  him  so  that  he  Avill  stay  at 
bay.  The  location  of  the  badger  can  easily  be 
given  by  the  barking  of  the  dogs,  and  the  hunter 
digs  down  with  pick  and  spade,  when  the  ground 
permits  such  work,  until  the  badger  can  be  seen. 
By  means  of  a  fork  pushed  over  his  neck  the 
badger  is  held  and  captured. 

The  Dachshund  is  also  invaluable  for  find- 
ing wounded  deer;  for  which  purpose  tlie  hunter 
usually  chains  the  dog,  who  then  leads  his  mas- 
ter over  the  trail  to  locate  the  game. 

At  home  the  Dachshund's  disposition 
changes  entirely;  he  is  now  a  most  affectionate 
and  docile  animal,  and  shows  by  his  every  ex- 
pression his  attachment  for  his  master  and  his 
family.  His  intelligence  is  surprising;  as  a 
watch  or  house  dog  he  has  few  equals,  the  slight- 
est disturbance  will  not  escape  his  keen  senses 
and  tlie  alarm  is  given.  Most  always  one  mem- 
ber of  the  family  he  selects  as  his  special  idol, 
in  many  cases  a  child,  and  it  is  amusing  to  watch 
him,  how  he  does  everything  in  his  power  to  show 
his  affection,  following  every  step  taken  by  his 
beloved  friend.  He  will  frolic  for  hours  and  never 


208  HUNTING   DOGS. 

seem  to  tire  or  lose  his  good  temper,  and  he  is 
always  on  hand  when  wanted.  He  knows  the 
friends  of  the  family  and  never  molests  them, 
but  he  will  not  tolerate  tramps. 

The  color  of  the  Dachshund  is  of  great  va- 
riety, the  original  stock  being  black  and  tan, 
from  which  later  developed  chocolate  and  tan, 
gray  and  tan  and  single  color  red,  ranging  from 
fawn  to  dark  mahogany  red.  The  spotted  Dachs- 
hund, such  as  black  and  tan  as  a  ground  color 
showing  silver  gray  patches  of  irregular  sizes 
throughout  the  black  field  is  of  comparatively  re- 
cent development.  Most  all  have  short  and 
glossy  coats. 

The  unusual  shape  of  this  dog,  combined 
with  a  beautiful  color,  the  graceful  and  digni- 
field  walk,  the  aristocratic  bearing,  will  draw  the 
attention  and  admiration  of  every  one  who  sees 
him. 

THE  BASSET  HOUND. 

The  American  beagle  has  a  brother  in 
P'^rance,  called  the  Basset.  He  is  slow,  acute 
scenter  and  in  general  has  characteristics  in 
common  with  the  beagle. 

Those  few  dogs  in  this  country  erroneously 
called  Basset  hounds,  (aside  from  a  very  few  im- 
ported for  bench  show  purposes)  are  doubtless 
resulted  from  beagle  and  mongrel  crossed. 


A   Pure   Pointer. 


14 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

POINTERS  AND  SETTERS. SPANIELS. 

1r  is  not  witliiu  our  province  to  dwell  at 
length  upon  the  subject  of  ^'bird"  dogs. 
We  will  content  ourselves  with  briefly 
pointing  out  some  more  salient  points  of 
ai^pearance  and  character.  Those  who  wish  to 
make  a  stud}'  and  follow  extensivelj^  wing  shoot- 
ing, and  raise  and  train  suitable  dogs  for  the 
purpose,  nuiv  obtain  books  relating  exclusively 
to  that  subject. 

While  adapted  to  the  same  purposes  in  the 
field,  there  are  differences  in  the  appearance  and 
methods  of  pointers  and  setters  that  give  rise  to 
two  distinct  classes. 

In  the  field,  if  we  ma;y  take  for  granted  the 
claims  of  men  long  schooled  in  wing  shooting, 
we  msLj  say  in  a  general  way,  that  the  pointer 
excels  in  Avoods  —  heavy  cover,  and  brushy  sec- 
tions. In  such  places  a  slower  dog  is  required 
as  well  as  one  that  willingly  hunts  close  to  the 
shooter. 

For  work  in  open  fields  or  over  prairie  land, 
the  setter  is  perhaps  better  suited,  because  he, 
as    a    rule,    ''has    greater    speed,    wider    range, 

210 


POINTERS  AND  SETTERS SPANIELS. 


211 


greater  endurance  and  staying  qualities.  If  re- 
trieving from  water  came  into  plav,  the  setter 
also  would  have  the  preference.  As  to  which  of 
the  two  breeds  has  the  best  nose,  and  which  is 
the  better  bird  finder,  nothing  can  be  said  with 
a  degree  of  certainty  —  they  are  equal,  but  there 


Royal  Sports. — Pointers  in  Action. 


is  a  vast  difference  in  individuals.     The  same  is 
true  as  to  retfiining  inculcated  training." 

The  pointer  is  the  older  breed,  being  a  prod- 
uct of  the  middle  ages.  He  bobs  up,  ever  and 
anon,  in  the  history  of  hunting  down  to  the 
present.  There  has  been  now  and  again  some 
inclination  to  cross  the  pointer  and  fox  hounds, 


212  HUNTING   DOGS. 

among  huntsmen,  some  claiming  even  in  this 
day  that  it  improves  eitlier  type  of  dog*  for  his 
given  duties.  Purists,  hoAyeyer,  insist  on  keep- 
ing them  pure  and  undefiled. 

In  appearance  the  pointer  is  hirger  than  the 
setter,  and  giyes  one  an  impression  of  solidity 
and  strength ;  his  coat  sliould  be  soft  and  niel- 
lo \y,  but  not  absolutely  silky.  The  hair  is  short 
and  straight. 

The  setter's  coat  should  be  long,  straight  and 
silky  (a  slight  waye  is  admissible)  which  should 
be  the  case  with  the  breeches  and  fore  legs^ 
which,  nearly  down  to  the  feet,  should  be  well 
feathered.  The  color  may  be  either  white  and 
black,  white  and  orange,  white  and  lemon,  white 
and  liyer,  or  black,  white  and  tan ;  those  Ayithout 
Iieayy  patches  on  the  body,  but  flecked  all  oyer, 
called  Belton,  preferred." 

There  is,  as  in  most  other  questions  of  hunt- 
ing and  shooting  experiences,  wide  difference  of 
opinion  as  to  the  relatiye  yalues  of  the  two  breeds 
for  practical  field  work  and  bench  purposes. 

The  casual  field  shooter  will  not  go  wrong 
in  selecting  either  kind,  so  long  as  he  secures  a 
creditable  and  really  representatiye  indiyidual. 

A  distinct  setter  strain  is  the  black  and  tan 
Gordon.  Writes  an  authority:  'Tlie  Gordon  is 
a  mucli  heavier  dog  in  all  his  parts  than  the 
English    setter;     coarser    in    skull,    thicker    in 


POINTERS   AND    SETTERS  —  SPANIELS.         213 


m 


214  HUNTING   DOGS. 

slioiilders  and  usually  carrying*  lots  oi  useless 
lumber.  As  a  consequence  lie  lacks  the  speed  of 
Ills  English  brethren,  and  for  this  reason  he  is 
not  a  desirable  field  trial  candidate,  but  as  a 
steady,  reliable  dog,  with  more  than  average  bird 
finding  ability,  he  will  always  have  a  number  of 
admirers." 

The  Irish  setter  is  another  interesting  one 
of  the  setter  family.  He  is  not  as  popular  in 
America  as  the  others,  though  a  handsome  and 
capable  performer.  His  color  is  red,  with  white 
on  chest,  throat  or  toes,  or  a  small  star  on  the 
forehead. 

The  manner  of  judging  pedigreed  field  dogs 
lias  been  reduced  to  an  almost  exact  science. 
After  all,  however,  all  this  is  not  for  the  casual 
hunter  and  many  an  embryo  sportsman  tramps 
the  fields  after  capable,  though  not  so  high-toned 
dogs,  and  enjoys  it  all  more  than  the  nervous 
owner  watching  his  dog  in  the  field  trial. 

SPANIELS. 

Spaniels  are  not  utilized  to  any  extent  as 
hunting  dogs  in  this  country,  although  they  are 
sometimes  crossed  to  good  avantage  with  other 
hunting  dogs.  About  the  water,  the  water  span- 
iel is  well  adapted.  For  instance  some  spaniel 
blood  in  a  mink  dog  is  well  worth  considering. 


POINTERS   AND    SETTERS SPANIELS.         215 

All  of  the  spaniels,  readily  develop  into  retriev- 
ers, and  tins  is  their  principal  use  at  present, 
although  they  can  be  taught  to  hunt  with  con- 
siderable effect  and  judgment,  where  too  much  is 
not  expected  of  them.  They  are  lively,  happy 
little  workers,  and  on  grouse  in  dense  coverts, 
no  dog  possesses  a  better  nose  for  the  purpose. 
Their  size,  too,  is  against  them  for  most  prac- 
tical purposes. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

TERRIERS AIREDALES. 

PRACTICAL  hunters  have  no  interest  in 
the  numerous  Terrier  family,  save  per- 
haps two  types. 
We  find  those  who  urge  the  use  of  the 
terrier  for  some  purposes.  For  instance,  a  Ca- 
nadian brother  has  the  following  to  say  as  to 
the  Fox  Terrier: 

I  like  the  hound,  but  give  me  a  well  trained 
fox  terrier  as  his  companion,  and  I  will  get  most 
every  fox.  Tliey  have  no  trouble  to  hole  in 
less  than  six  hours,  there  is  where  the  terrier 
shines  and  puts  in  his  work.  He  will  enter  the 
hole  and  that  is  the  end  of  Mr.  Fox.  Sometimes 
lie  Avill  bring  him  out  of  the  hole  to  kill  him,  but 
more  often  he  Avill  kill  him,  then  bring  him  out. 
There  are  times  when  he  kills  one  that  he  cannot 
get  out,  owing  to  a  short  bend  or  other  obstruc- 
tion in  the  hole.  Xo  doubt  tliere  will  be  many  of 
the  readers  think  this  is  a  far-fetched  claim,  nev- 
ertheless it  is  true  and  many  in  this  section  can 
vouch  for  this  statement. 

The  dozens  of  t^'pes  of  this  interesting, 
though  generally  impracticable  terrier  family  we 

1216 


TERRIERS  —  AIREDALES. 


217 


pass  over,  permitting  us  to  give  wider  attention 
to  the  one  or  two  types  tbat  have  earned  recog- 
nition. The  ugly,  little  Irish  terrier  is  some- 
times used  to  good  advantage  for  crossing,  where 


The  Fox  Terrier — Useful  in  Many  Ways. 


heedless,  reckless  pluck  is  sought.  These  dogs 
are  very  game,  yet  remarkably  good  tempered 
with  man.  But  they  dearly  love  a  fight,  and 
have  earned  their  commonly  used  nick-name 
^'Dare-devils." 


218 


HUNTING   DOGS. 


Thus  lightly  skipping  OA^er  the  whole  family 
we  come  to  a  type  that  has  earned  notice  in  the 
hunting  world,  and  is  rapidly  growing  in  popu- 
lar favor. 

TPIE  AIREDALE. 

First  we  cite  a  bit  of  practical  testimony  on 


Airedale. 


the  matter,  from  a  gentleman  who  knows  where- 
of he  speaks : 

I  have  found  out  that  the  pure  Airedale 
terrier  and  the  hound  make  the  very  best  dogs 
for  coon,  lynx,  mink,  etc.     Get  a  good  Airedale 


TERRIERS  —  AIREDALES.  219 

and  a  good  hound  and  you  will  have  a  pair  of 
hounds  hard  to  beat.  The  airedale  are  great 
water  dogs  and  very  hard  Avorkers  and  easily 
trained  to  hunt  any  kind  of  game.  They  are  full 
of  grit  and  they  fear  nothing  and  are  always 
ready  to  obey  your  command.  I  have  hunted 
with  them  and  found  this  breed  of  dog  away 
ahead  of  the  Avater  spaniel,  collie,  etc.  Once  you 
own  one  you  Avill  never  be  without  it. 

''The  Airedales  Avere  first  imported  into  this 
country  in  1897  or  1898,  from  England,  and  as 
companion  and  guard  dogs,  as  ^Ye\\  as  hunters 
and  retrievers  have  made  wonderful  strides,  and 
are  becoming  more  popular  as  they  become  bet- 
ter knoAvn.  In  disposition  and  intelligence  they 
are  unexcelled.  They  Avill  guard  their  master's 
family  night  and  day,  but  on  the  other  hand  are 
affectionate  and  kind  to  children.  They  are  nat- 
ural hunters  of  both  large  and  small  game,  in 
Avhicli  they  need  but  little  training,  and  haA^e 
been  used  and  Avorked  as  hunters  and  retrievers 
Avith  much  success,  as  they  are  easily  taught  and 
very  intelligent.  In  size,  the  standard  calls  for 
males  45  pounds,  females  a  little  less.  Color, 
black  and  badger  graA^  with  tan  extremities. 

We  should  name  the  Airedale  as  a  promis- 
ing bear  dog.  His  grit,  courage,  staying  Qual- 
ity and  strength  are  all  points  of  advantage  in 


220  HUNTING   DOGS. 

a  dog  that  is  exi^ected  to  try  conclusions  with 
the  hard-swatting  bruin. 

Also  we  frequently'  hear  of  noteworthy  suc- 
cess of  the  Airedale  in  hunting  and  dispatching 
coyotes,  coons,  badger  and  bay-lynx,  any  one  of 
which  is  capable  of  putting  up  a  good  fight.  Also 
he  is  a  hunter,  retriever,  trailer  of  coon,  'possum, 
bear,  A^ildcat,  mink,  coyote,  deer,  lynx,  fox  or 
small  game. 

The  tendency  nowadays  is  to  produce  larger 
Airedales,  Avliich  shall  retain  the  terrier  quali- 
ties. The  practical  callings  upon  the  breed's  use- 
fulness seems  to  justify  that  he  be  bred  over  50 
pounds,  rather  than  between  45  and  50  pounds, 
which  has  in  the  past  been  the  aim. 

One  writer  says  tliat  it  was  in  the  valley  of 
the  Aire  river  that  the  Otter  hound  was  crossed 
with  the  Bull  Terrier,  that  product  was  the 
Scotch  terrier,  that  with  the  Scotch  collie,  that 
with  the  Pointer,  and  that  with  the  Setter  dog 
and  then  the  standard  having  been  secured,  the 
crossing  was  discontinued.  In  that  dale  of  the 
Aire,  then,  was  the  great  breed  of  dogs  first  ex- 
perimented upon,  that  made  the  Airedale, 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

SCOTCH  COLLIES.      HOUSE  AND  WATCH  DOGS. 

CHE  Scotch  collie  dog  will  make  the  best 
friend  of  all  the  dogs  in  the  canine  race, 
writes  a  collie  admirer.  Of  all  useful 
animals  God  gave  to  man  what  can  excel 
the  dog,  at  least  with  the  stockmen ;  in  affection 
no  other  dog  can  compare  with  him,  he  is  a  dog 
that  every  farmer  needs.  He  has  almost  liumau 
intelligence,  a  pure  bred  collie  can  always  be 
depended  upon  in  sunshine  or  adversity.  He 
can  do  his  work  in  a  manner  that  should  put  the 
average  boy  to  shame.  The  pure  bred  Scotch 
Collies  are  of  a  kind  and  affectionate  disposition 
and  they  become  strongly  attached  to  their  mas- 
ter. There  can  be  no  friend  more  honest  and 
enduring  than  the  noble,  willing  and  obedient 
thoroughbred  Scotch  Collie.  As  a  devoted 
friend  and  faithful  companion  he  has  no  equal 
in  the  canine  race,  he  Avill  guard  the  household 
and  property  day  and  night.  The  Scotch  Collies 
are  very  watchful  and  always  on  the  alert,  while 
their  intelligence  is  really  marvelous. 

At  one  year  old  they  are  able  to  perform  full 
duty  herding  sheep,  cattle  and  other  stock,  at- 

221 


222 


HUNTING    DOGS. 


tending-  tlieiii  all  day  Avlieu  necessary,  keeping 
them  together  and  Avliere  tliev  belong  and  driv- 
ing oil'  all  strange  intruders.     The}^   learn   to 


Collie. 

know  their  master's  animals  from  others  in  a 
very  short  time,  and  a  well-trained  dog  will 
gather  tliem  home  and  put  each  into  its  right 
stall.  They  have  a  dainty  carriage  and  line  style, 
profuse  silky  hair  of  various  colors. 


SCOTCH  COLLIES    ETC.  223 

Others  incline  to  the  conYiction  that  pi^acti- 
cal  purposes  have  been  lost  sight  of  in  breeding, 
and  that  appearances  have  been  sought  to  such 
an  extent  that  the  present  day  pure  bred  collies 
lack  some  of  the  attributes  of  intelligence  and 
hardihood  that  made  the  collie  famous.  In  a  lew 
of  this  fact  it  is  quite  likely  that  for  general  pur- 
poses and  certainly  for  hunting  purposes,  a  dash 
of  alien  blood  is  advantageous. 

The  crossed  collie,  or  the  well-known  shep- 
herd dog,  so  common  to  the  farm,  are  very  often 
used  with  success  in  all  forms  of  night  hunting. 
There  are  some  who  go  so  far  as  to  maintain 
that  the  shepherd  or  a  cross  of  shepherd  and  fDX 
hound  are  ideal  for  coon,  rabbit  and  squirrel 
hunting. 

The  use  of  these  dogs  as  sheep  herders  lias 
deteriorated  in  this  country,  althougli  they  are 
still  bred  for  practical  purposes  with  marked 
success  in  parts  of  England. 

HOW  TO  TRAIN  A  COLLIE. 

The  best  Avay  to  make  a  start  is  to  get  a 
pure-bred  puppy  from  a  good  working  strain. 
To  gain  the  best  results  and  secure  the  full  worth 
of  a  Collie  as  a  stock  dog,  I  Avould  say,  take  him 
as  a  little  puppy. 

There  are  many  reasons  why  we  favor  the 
little  puppy  to  the  dog  nearly  or  quite  grown. 
Most  collies  are  sensitive  and  suspicious  and  of 


224  HUNTING   DOGS. 

fine  temperainent  and  this  characteristic  often 
makes  them  appear  rather  more  cowardly  than 
brave.  A  Collie  that  has  been  properly  cared 
for  and  considerably  handled  during  his  puppy- 
hood  up  to  maturity  should  have  plenty  of  cour- 
age. A  puppy  should  never  be  permitted  to  have 
a  place  of  refuge  where  he  can  run  away  and 
hide  on  hearing  a  slight  noise  or  unusual  dis- 
turbance of  any  kind,  or  at  the  sight  of  a 
stranger. 

If  he  is  kept  under  conditions  where  he  can 
see  all  that  may  be  going  on,  and  in  that  way  be- 
come familiar  with  active  life,  learning  that 
noises  and  strange  persons  do  not  harm  him,  he 
Avill  develop  plenty  of  courage,  without  which 
there  is  but  little  hope  of  great  usefulness. 

First,  teach  him  his  name,  and  to  come  when 
you  call  him.  Teach  him  to  mind  but  always  by 
kind  methods.  Let  him  love  and  trust  you,  gain- 
ing his  affection  by  gentle  treatment.  He  should 
be  accustomed  to  the  collar  and  chain  when 
young,  though  it  is  much  better  to  keep  him  in 
the  yard  than  confined  by  a  chain  while  he  is 
growing.  Teach  him  one  tiling  at  a  time  —  to 
lie  down  and  remain  in  that  position  until  ex- 
cused; to  follow  at  your  Avill,  and  stop  at  the 
word,  to  come  in  at  once  at  command,  and  to 
turn  to  the  right  or  left. 

All  these  lessons  can  be  easily  managed  by 


SCOTCH  COLLIES    ETC.  225 

use  of  a  small  cord  and  always  using  the  appro- 
priate word  with  emphasis.  He  should  always  be 
made  to  keep  at  your  heels  when  out  for  a  walk 
with  you.  In  that  way,  after  telling  him  to  go 
to  heel  wlieneyer  he  tries  to  run  away,  he  will 
understand  the  word  better  when  he  goes  with 
you  to  drive  the  cattle  for  the  first  time. 

Let  him  keep  back  of  the  stock  with  you, 
while  you  drive  the  cattle  to  and  from  the  field 
or  pasture  without  undertaking  to  teach  him, 
for  as  he  learns  by  observation,  he  must  have 
the  example  made  plain.  He  will  quickly  show 
a  desire  to  help  and  then  you  may  take  advant- 
age of  this  act,  encouraging  him  to  help  you, 
and  after  he  has  been  with  you  a  time  or  two, 
he  Avill  soon  become  a  driver  at  the  heel.  Give 
him  plenty  of  practice,  and  when  he  becomes 
a  good  driver  at  the  heel,  taking  a  positive 
interest  in  his  work,  he  can  then  be  easily 
taught  to  turn  the  cattle  to  the  right  or  left, 
to  head  them  off,  stop  tliem  or  go  alone  into 
the  distant  fields  and  bring  the  cattle  to  the 
stable. 

He  should  never  be  allowed  to  drive  the 
cattle  fast  for  if  once  allowed  to  run  them,  he 
will  become  careless  and  develop  a  disposition 
to  worry  them. 

Do  not  weary  him  with  over-commanding 
nor  notice  every  little  mistake  which  unnoticed 

15 


226 


HUNTING    DOGS. 


a, 


SCOTCH  COLLIES    ETC.  227 

may  not  occur  again.  If  you  gain  liis  affection 
and  do  not  forget  to  tell  him  that  he  has  been 
a  good  dog  when  he  has  done  well  for  you,  he 
will  learn  fast  for  he  has  a  wonderful  memory 
and  never  forgets  the  things  he  has  learned  to 
do.  Thus  we  are  amply  repaid  for  the  care  and 
time  used  in  making  the  lesson  plain. 

I  might  say  a  few  words  about  feeding  the 
puppy,  as  he  should  have  good  food  when  young. 
The  first  few  months  he  should  be  fed  on  bread 
and  milk,  never  giving  him  any  meat  at  any 
time,  and  as  he  grows  older,  give  him  the  bread 
dr}'  and  the  milk  as  a  drink.  A  comfortable 
sleeping  place  should  also  be  given  him.  The 
best  place  is  in  the  house  or  stable  and  he  should 
be  kept  in  at  night  at  all  times  of  the  year. 

You  will  find  that  a  well  looked  after  Collie 
is  a  valuable  and  life-long  friend  and  helper, 

HOUSE  AND  WATCH  DOGS. 

The  Great  Dane,  Mastiff,  St.  Bernard,  New^ 
foundland,  Poodle,  Dalmatian  Chow-Chow,  Eng- 
lish and  French  Bulldog  have  their  places  and 
purposes,  but  are  entirely  outside  the  province 
of  hunting  dogs.  Most  hunters  admire  these  no- 
ble beasts,  but  inasmuch  as  they  have  no  prac- 
tical importance  or  use  to  the  hunter,  detailed 
description  is  omitted. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

A  FARMER  HUNTER  —  HIS  VIEWS. 

1am  a  farmer  by  trade  and  a  raccoon  liunter 
for  sport,  and  nothing  but  a  fox  hound  for 
me,  and  the  better  his  breeding  is  the  bet- 
ter I  like  it.  I  don't  care  how  much  noise 
he  makes  if  he  is  fast.  I  like  a  good  tonguer. 
I  only  have  four  hounds  at  this  writing.  I  have 
caught  27  'coon  and  10  opossum.  On  the  night 
of  Xov^mber  9th,  some  friends  of  mine  went  out 
'coon  hunting  with  me.  They  had  three  'coon 
dogs  and  I  had  four,  seven  hounds  in  all.  We 
went  about  two  miles  south  of  where  I  live  to 
where  Ave  sometimes  hunt  the  'coon.  The  first 
thing  when  we  got  there  the  dogs  struck  a  trail 
and  treed  on  top  of  a  hill  with  an  old  coal  entry 
just  below  it. 

We  got  up  to  the  tree  all  right  and  could 
hear  one  of  the  dogs  barking  '^treed"  about  one- 
half  mile  south,  so  I  left  the  boys  to  attend  to 
that  tree  and  I  went  to  the  lone  hound.  He  was 
barking  up  a  large  black  oak  in  the  corn  field. 
I  soon  spied  an  eye  up  the  tree  and  shot  hiui  out 
and  down  came  Mr.  'Coon.  I  looked  up  in  the 
tree  again  and  saw  two  eyes.   The  little  20-gauge 

228 


A   FARMER   HUNTER  —  HIS   VIEWS.  229 

spoke  again  and  down  came  'coon  No.  2.  The 
other  fellows  did  not  have  such  good  luck,  as 
their  coon  got  into  the  coal  entry. 

We  then  started  on  and  the  dogs  caught 
another  trail  and  gave  us  some  music  for  about 
twenty  minutes.  When  they  barked  treed  we 
went  over  to  them  and  there  were  six  of  the  dogs 
barking  up  a.  bush}^  oak  and  the  lone  dog  was 
barking  about  eighty  rods  west  of  there.  One  of 
the  boys  started  up  the  tree  and  got  only  part 
way  up  when  out  jumps  Mr.  'Coon.  The  dogs  all 
went  for  him  and  out  comes  another  'coon  and 
into  the  corn  field  he  went  just  about  at  the  top 
of  his  speed,  and  I  guess  he  had  no  slow  orders 
either  by  the  way  he  was  going  the  last  time  I 
saw  him.  We  got  a  couple  of  the  dogs  after  the 
runaway  'coon  but  he  made  a  hole,  so  we  then 
went  to  the  lone  dog  and  he  had  one  up.  We 
got  that  and  started  west.  We  had  not  gone  far 
when  the  dogs  struck  another  trail  and  they 
circled  to  the  northwest  of  us,  came  around  west 
and  south  and  turned  east.  Just  across  the  hol- 
low from  us  was  a  large  tree  that  Mr.  'Coon 
was  trying  to  make  but  he  couldn't  get  speed 
enough  to  make  it,  so  the  dogs  caught  him  as 
he  got  to  the  bottom  of  the  tree. 

The  lone  dog  was  with  them  on  that  chase. 
We  left  our  'coon  at  a  farmer's  and  started  on. 
The  dogs  struck  another  trail  and  that  'coon  got 


230  HUNTING   DOGS. 

into  a  hole  and  he  was  safe,  so  we  ate  our  lunch, 
rested  a  little  while  and  started  on  west.  The 
dogs  hit  another  trail  and  went  south  about  a 
mile  and  barked  but  not  treed.  We  Avent  to  them 
and  the}'  had  run  this  'coon  into  a  shallow  hole 
in  the  corn  field.  We  tried  to  get  one  of  the  dogs 
to  pull  him  out  but  the  'coon  got  first  hold  eyerj 
time,  so  we  got  a  stick  and  dug  in  a  little  ways. 
We  could  then  see  Mr.  'Coon's  eyes  down  in  the 
hole.  We  sent  three  dogs  in  after  him  but  they 
came  out  without  him. 

I  had  an  old  speckled  hound  we  called 
Teddy.  He  went  in  and  when  he  backed  out  ho 
liad  company  with  him,  and  he  seemed  to  think 
a  great  deal  cf  his  comp-:iny,  for  he  was  hansin'A 
right  on  to  him  just  as  though  he  thought  hi.^ 
company  might  leave  him  if  he  got  a  chance. 
Ted  was  doing  all  he  could,  but  he  got  him  up 
so  the  other  dogs  could  see  Mr.  'Coon's  back  and 
then  he  had  plenty  cf  help  and  the  'coon's 
troubles  were  soon  over. 

We  then  started  northwest.  The  dogs 
were  working  a  trail  and  they  were  puzzled  on 
it;  did  not  seem  able  to  get  away.  There  were 
a  black  oak  and  hazel  bush  where  we  were  theu, 
so  we  sat  down  to  let  the  dogs  work  it  out  if 
they  could.  We  were  sitting  witliin  10  feet  of 
an  oak  tree,  the  lone  dog  came  up,  circles  the 
tree  and  barks  up,  then  tliree  of  the  other  dogs 


A  FARMER  HUNTER  —  HIS  VIEWS.  231 

come  up  and  start  to  bark.  One  of  the  boys  says 
there  might  be  a  'coon  up  that  tree  but  I  doubt 
it.  Well,  I  said,  when  four  good  'coon  dogs 
bark  up  a  tree  at  the  same  time,  there  is  liable 
to  be  something  up  there,  so  up  went  one  of  the 
boys  and  down  came  Mr.  'Coon.  We  got  him 
and  the  dogs  were  not  long  in  starting  another 
trail. 

They  started  south  but  it  was  a  cold  one, 
but  they  struck  right  after  Mr.  'Coon,  and  I 
guess  they  must  have  taken  us  a  mile  and  a  half 
on  that  trail  to  another  patch  of  timber,  and  wo 
were  about  a  half  a  mile  behind  them  when  they 
barked  treed.  They  had  ^Ir.  'Coon  up  a  tall 
red  oak.  We  shot  him  out  and  soon  had  another 
trail  going.  They  took  this  one  south,  and  it 
was  a  warm  one,  right  out  into  a  corn  field,  and 
they  caught  him  on  the  ground.  We  could  hear 
the  fracas  and  went  to  them  as  quick  as  pos- 
sible, but  we  were  not  quick  enough  for  they  had 
killed  Mr.  'Coon  and  we  met  them  coming  back. 
We  went  to  where  we  thought  they  were  when 
they  caught  the  'coon  but  Ave  did  not  find  the 
right  place  for  we  did  not  find  that  coon. 

The  dogs  soon  had  another  trail  going  and 
gave  us  some  fine  music  for  a  little  while  and 
barked  treed.  We  went  to  them  and  they  had 
two  'coons  up.  We  shot  them  out,  and  they  soon 
had  another  one  going  south.     It  was  getting 


232  HUNTING   DOGS. 

pretty  frosty  about  that  time  and  they  worked 
that  trail  about  one  hour  south  and  west.  We 
followed  their  music  and  they  barked  treed.  We 
sliot  him  out.  That  makes  eleven  'coon  and 
one  killed  in  the  field  that  we  could  not  find. 
Now  there  may  be  some  of  the  trappers  that 
will  think  I  have  added  a  few  'coon  to  this  hunt, 
but  I  have  not.  I  have  given  you  this  'coon  hunt 
as  near  as  it  happened  as  I  can  remember,  but 
we  had  seven  as  good  'coon  dogs  as  you  generally 
run  across.  I  do  not  say  seven  of  the  best  dogs 
ever  went  into  the  woods  or  the  best  in  the 
United  States,  but  they  were  'coon  dogs  and 
fast  ones. 

It  seems  that  about  every  man  that  has  a 
'coon  dog  or  dogs  and  they  tree  a  few  'coons,  gets 
it  into  his  head  that  nobody  has  a  dog  quite  as 
good  as  his.  I  have  one  pair  of  hounds  from  a 
Williams  bitch  and  a  dog  owned  by  ^Ir.  Wil- 
liams— ^  Hodo  is  his  name  —  but  he  is  a  pure 
Trigg  dog.  His  pedigree  runs  back  over  forty 
years.  One  of  Haiden  C.  Trigg's  dogs,  Trigg, 
is  the  most  successful  hound  breeder  in  the 
United  States  today.  He  started  on  the  old 
original  American  fox  hound,  these  long  eared 
fellows  Avith  a  deep  mellow  voice,  called  by  some 
nigger  cliasers,  as  tliey  used  them  in  tlie  south 
for  tliat  purpose,  and  some  dealers  are  selling 
the  old  American  Fox  Hound  today  for  Ameri- 


A   FARMER   HUNTER  —  HIS   VIEWS.  233 

can  Blood  Hounds.  Tlie  only  genuine  blood 
hound  we  have  is  the  English.  See  what  the 
Trigg  dog  is  today,  short  ears  or  much  shorter 
than  the  dog  Mr.  Trigg  started  to  improve  on, 
with  narrow  muzzle,  and  stands  up  well  with 
good  feet  and  built  on  speedy  lines,  a  red  fox  dog, 
and  when  he  started  on  there  were  few  of  them 
that  could  hole  a  red  fox  inside  of  eight  hours, 
and  the  Trigg  dog  of  today  will  hole  a  red  fox  in 
a  comparatively  short  time.  Of  course  the  fox 
they  are  running  and  the  kind  of  country  they 
have  to  run  in,  have  a  great  deal  to  do  with  it.  I 
run  fox  m^^self  sometimes,  or  my  hounds  do 
rather. 

Now  I  see  some  of  the  hunters  like  a  still 
trailer,  but  I  want  to  hear  my  dogs  work  and 
I  want  to  know  which  way  thej  are  going,  and 
when  they  begin  to  get  away  I  can  follow  and 
keep  in  hearing  of  my  dogs.  I  can  tell  by  their 
baying  just  about  what  they  are  doing,  if  the 
trail  is  cold  or  warm,  and  can  tell  which  way 
they  are  going.  I  wouldn't  give  a  cent  to  hunt 
with  dogs  that  couldn't  make  a  little  music  when 
on  the  trail. 

I  see  some  of  the  brothers  think  nothing  but 
a  still  trailer  catches  his  'coon  on  the  ground. 
If  you  have  fast  trailers  they  will  catch  'coon  on 
the  ground  if  they  tongue  every  other  jump.  My 
dogs  are  all  good  tonguers  and  I   often  have 


234  HUNTING   DOGS. 

them  catch  'coon  on  the  ground  and  big  'coon, 
not  little  young  'coon  any  more  than  old  ones. 
A  young  'coon  ^Yill  take  to  a  tree  quicker  than 
an  old  one.  I  have  got  to  see  ni}^  first  well  bred 
'coon  hound  that  will  still  trail.  I  have  never 
seen  him  yet,  that  is,  a  fox  hound.  I  have  tried 
shepherd  and  hound  cross,  bull  dog  and  hound 
cross,  and  beagle  and  fox  hound  cross,  but  give 
me  the  pure  bred  fox  hound  every  time  for  a 
'coon  dog,  and  I  don't  care  how  long  his  pedigree 
is  either.  Let  me  tell  jon,  you  cannot  get  a 
fox  hound  too  fast  for  'coon,  the  faster  he  is 
the  better. 

I  read  where  a  brother  made  the  statement 
that  you  wanted  a  slow  hound  for  a  'coon  dog. 
Well,  he  may  want  a  slow  one,  yet  I  am  sure  I 
do  not.  He  goes  on  to  say  that  a  fast  dog  will 
run  over  the  trail  if  the  'coon  makes  a  short  or 
square  turn,  the  fast  hound  will  run  b}^  and 
lose  too  much  time  finding  the  trail  again.  Let 
me  tell  you  right  here,  the  fast  hound  can't  help 
but  run  over,  but  he  knows  right  where  he  lost 
that  trail.  If  he  happens  to  circle  the  right  wa}^ 
ho  only  has  to  make  a  half  circle  and  he  is  off 
again.  On  the  other  hand,  if  he  circles  the  other 
way  he  makes  a  full  circle  and  hits  the  trail  and 
is  going  just  as  fast  as  ever.  If  he  has  a  good 
nose  on  him  he  has  not  lost  four  seconds.  A 
fast  hound  will  nlake  that  turn  in  a  trail  quicker 


A  FARMER  HUNTER  —  HIS  VIEWS.  236 

every  time  than  a  slow  one  will.  I  have  had  both 
slow  and  fast  and  have  hunted  'coons  about  23 
years.  Am  now  a  man  38  years  old,  and  if  I 
don't  know  what  a  hound  is  I  sure  never  will. 

I  don't  claim  to  know  it  all,  for  a  man  never 
gets  too  old  to  learn.  He  could  learn  something 
every  day  if  he  lived  a  thousand  years,  or  for 
all  time  to  come.  There  is  no  dog  that  will  work 
a  cold  trail  out  like  a  good  hound.  He  will  work 
out  a  trail  and  tree  a  'coon  when  a  cur  dog 
would  pass  right  over  the  trail  and  pay  no  at- 
tention to  it  whatever.  It  must  be  the  brothers 
that  like  the  still  trailers  that  never  had  a  good 
'coon  hound,  for  I  have  never  seen  good  'coon 
dogs  but  I  have  seen  the  best  ones  wrapped  up 
in  a  fox  hound  hide. 

I  have  a  black  and  tan  hound  that  will  fight 
for  me  at  any  time.  I  can't  scuffle  with  any  one 
outside  of  my  own  family  for  he  will  bite  them 
just  as  quick  as  he  can  get  close  enough  to  them. 
I  had  to  give  him  several  hard  whippings  to 
make  him  quit  rabbits.  Now  they  don't  bother 
him  any  when  he  is  looking  for  'coon  with  me 
at  night.  His  father  was  the  hardest  dog  to 
break  off  of  rabbits  that  I  ever  broke,  but  when 
he  was  three  years  old  he  would  not  notice  a  rab- 
bit at  night  but  would  trail  them  in  the  day 
time.  He  turned  out  to  be  a  very  valuable  hound. 
He  would  retrieve  as  good  as  a  retriever  on 


236  HUNTING   DOGS. 

land  or  in  water,  would  cateli  any  hog  that  I 
told  him  to  catch  and  hold  it  until  I  told  him  to 
let  it  go.  I  could  point  out  an}^  chicken  I  wanted 
him  to  catch  and  he  would  get  it  for  me  and 
would  not  hart  the  chicken  any. 

Some  people  think  a  hound  don't  know  any- 
thing but  trail,  but  a  good  hound  is  a  very  smart 
dog  and  a  poor  hound  is  about  as  worthless  a 
dog  as  3  ou  can  find.  Take  the  hound  as  a  breed 
and  I  must  saj^  they  are  a  noble  breed.  The  fox 
hound  requires,  I  think,  more  exercise  than  any 
other  breed  of  dogs.  I  have  a  25  gallon  caldron. 
I  put  most  any  kind  of  meat  that  I  can  get, 
beef,  horse  flesli,  'coon,  when  there  is  one  that  is 
pretty  badly  bruised  up,  pork  or  any  kind  of 
meat  that  is  not  decomposed,  and  put  it  into 
this  caldron.  Of  course,  I  put  water  in  first 
then  put  in  my  meat  and  boil  until  it  will  all 
stir  off  tlie  bone.  I  then  take  all  the  bones  out 
and  stir  in  corn  meal  until  I  have  enough  so 
that  when  the  meal  is  done  it  will  be  a  very  stitf 
maish.  When  it  is  done  and  cooled  off  you  can 
take  it  out  in  chunks.  Use  no  salt,  if  any,  very 
little,  as  a  very  little  salt  Avill  physic  a  dog. 

I  sometimes  bake  corn  bread  for  tlie  dogs 
for  a  cliange,  which  makes  a  good  food  for  them 
but  not  so  strong  a  food  as  the  otlier.  I  think  a 
hound  will  do  more  running  and  keep  in  better 
order  on  that  mush  witli  meat  than  any  food  you 


A   PARMER   HUNTER  —  HIS   VIEWS.  237 

can  give  tliem.  Of  course,  if  a  person  has  but 
one  dog,  he  can  generally  get  enough  from  the 
house  scraps  from  the  table,  but  when  you  have 
a  dozen  or  so  3  ou  will  have  to  get  your  dog  food 
elsewhere.  In  warm  weather  this  mush  will 
sour  in  a  few  hours,  but  in  cold  weather  it  will 
keep  sweet.  I  feed  my  dogs  once  a  day  when 
they  are  idle,  but  when  I  am  hunting  them  I  feed 
them  twice  a  day.    Feed  each  dog  by  himself. 

NoAv  as  to  their  sleeping  places,  if  you  can 
let  your  dogs  run  loose,  and  they  will  find  warm 
places  to  sleep,  with  plenty  of  bedding  in  the 
barn  or  other  out  buildings  where  the  ventila- 
tion is  good,  but  no  drafts  of  air  to  blow  on 
them,  that  is  the  best  place  for  them.  I  keep 
part  of  my  dogs  tied  up,  as  they  would  be  off 
hunting  if  I  let  them  run  loose.  For  those  I 
use  on  the  chain  I  use  a  20-foot  chain.  Build 
a  good,  warm  dog  house  with  a  shingle  roof,  an 
individual  house  for  one  dog.  Cut  a  hole  that  he 
can  get  thru  easily  and  then  tack  some  burlap 
just  above  the  hole  and  let  it  hang  down  over 
the  hole.  When  it  is  cold  weather  I  leave  it 
down,  but  when  it  is  pleasant  I  fasten  it  up  so 
that  it  leaves  the  hole  open.  The  air  can  get 
thru  the  burlap  but  it  breaks  the  wind  off  of 
the  dog  and  keeps  the  snow  from  blowing  in  on 
his  nest,  or  rain  if  it  is  raining.  He  can  go  out 
and  in  when  the  burlap  is  down. 


238  HUNTING    DUG.^. 

Another  eas}'  waj  to  make  a  good  place  foi* 
a  dog  is  cut  a  hole  in  the  side  of  a.  building  that 
has  a  good  roof,  and  put  a  box  large  enough  so 
that  it  will  give  your  dog  plenty  of  room  right 
tight  up  against  the  inside  of  the  building  where 
you  cut  the  holes  thru.  Knock  one  side  of  your 
box  out  and  put  it  to  the  hole  on  inside  of  build- 
ing. Put  your  burlap  on  the  outside  at  the  hole 
as  before  described,  and  you  have  a  fine  place 
for  your  dog.  Make  the  hole  just  large  enough 
so  he  can  get  thru  it  easily,  and  cut  it  high 
enough  so  that  when  he  lays  down  in  the  box, 
the  bottom  of  the  hole  will  be  above  the  dog. 
Give  your  dog  good,  clean  bedding  at  least  once 
a  week.  Twice  a  week  is  not  too  often.  Use 
some  disinfectant  about  two  or  three  times  a 
month  inside  of  dog  house.  The  best  cure  for 
mange  that  I  have  ever  used,  or  for  sores  to 
heal  them]  is  black  gun  powder,  powdered  sul- 
phur and  lard,  mixed  and  well  rubbed  in.  It 
is  a  sure  cure  for  mange.  It  will  soon  kill  the 
germs,  if  properly  applied. 

I  notice  where  a  brother,  in  telling  how  to 
break  a  young  dog  to  tree  'Coon  said,  to  let  the 
'coon  chew  the  dog  for  a  while,  help  the  'coon, 
let  him  eat  the  dog  for  about  20  minutes  and 
the  dog  would  go  to  hunting  them  to  get  revenge, 
or  something  to  that  effect.  Now  it  is  my 
opinion  that  the  dog  would  not  want  any  more 


A   FARMER   HUNTER  —  HIS   VIEWS.  239 

revenge  as  lie  would  get  a  plenty  right  there, 
and  the  chances  are  that  he  would  ever  after  be 
afraid  of  a  'coon,  if  he  were  a  pup  and  got  that 
kind  of  treatment.  Help  your  dog  kill  a  'coon 
whenever  you  can,  if  you  can  do  it  without 
danger  to  the  dog.  I  never  let  my  dogs  kill  a 
'coon  when  it  can  be  avoided.  If  I  can  find 
the  'coon  with  my  light  in  the  tree  I  shoot  him 
out,  and  then  sometimes  he  has  plenty  of  fight 
in  hini  when  he  comes  down.  Other  times  he  is 
dead  when  he  hits  the  ground. 

Any  one  of  my  dogs  will  kill  a  'coon  if 
necessary,  but  they  don't  get  the  chance  very 
often.  There  has  been  a  few  times  that  I  let 
them  kill  the  'coon,  when  I  could  have  killed 
him  myself,  when  there  were  some  of  the  boys 
with  me  that  wanted  to  see  them  kill  the  'coon, 
but  it  is  tiresome  work  on  a  dog  to  kill  a  'coon, 
harder  a  great  deal  than  treeing  one.  My  dogs 
will  not  stay  at  a  hole  unless  the  'coon  is  very 
close  to  the  top  of  the  ground,  as  where  I  hunt 
there  are  a  great  many  old  coal  entries  and  it 
would  be  a  nuisance  to  have  them  bark  at  such 
places  as  you  could  not  get  them  out,  so  I  never 
encourage  them  to  stay  at  a  hole  when  they  run 
one  in. 

I  have  seen  some  discussion  about  the  size 
of  'coons.  The  largest  'coon  I  ever  caught 
weighed  30  pounds.     He  measured  from  the  tip 


240  HUNTING    DOGS. 

of  his  tail  to  the  end  of  his  nose,  4  feet  and  4 
inches.  I  caught  another  one  last  winter  that 
weighed  25  pounds  and  measured  four  feet  and 
2  inches  from  his  nose  to  the  end  of  his  tail. 

I  catch  a  good  many  that  weigh  over  20 
pounds.  Another  thing  I  want  to  tell  jou  is 
this,  in  over  20  years  of  'coon  hunting  I  have 
never  cut  a  tree  down  to  get  a  'coon.  There  is 
too  much  of  that  kind  of  work  done.  Where  are 
all  of  the  'coons  going  to  stay  when  you  get  all 
of  the  den  trees  cut  down?  I  want  to  ask  you 
where  is  the  land  owner  that  wants  'coon 
hunters  cutting  his  timber  down?  Think  of  cut- 
ting a  fine,  large  tree  down  because  it  has  a  hole 
in  it  with  a  'coon  inside.  If  I  get  a  'coon  in 
such  a  tree  and  can't  climb  it,  I  just  call  ttie 
dogs  away  from  the  tree  and  let  him  go  until 
some  other  time.  I  make  it  my  business  to  go 
that  way  again  some  night,  and  the  chances  are 
I  get  that  same  'coon  in  such  a  tree  and  can't 
climb  it,  I  just  tree  a  head  of  Mr.  'Coon  if  I 
can,  and  he  goes  up  some  tree  that  I  can  get 
him,  out  of  when  he  sees  he  is  cut  off  from  his 
den  tree,  and  the  tree  is  left  for  the  next  'coon 
that  comes  along.  So,  brothers,  please  cut  the 
tree  cutting  out,  as  it  is  for  your  own  good  to 
let  those  kind  of  trees  stand  if  you  want  to  hunt 
'coon.  When  you  go  around  thru  the  timber 
destroying  it,  some  one  is  going  to  call  a  halt 


A   FARMER   HUNTER  —  HIS   VIEWS.  241 

on  YOU,  and  on  the  other  hand  it  is  not  at  all 
necessary  to  cut  the  timber  to  get  the  ^coon,  and 
the  tree  is  undoubtedly  worth  more  to  the  man 
that  own  the  land  than  the  'coon  is  to  you 

Of  course,  if  the  owner  of  the  tree  gives  you 
permission  to  cut  the  tree,  that  clears  you  on 
that  score,  but  after  the  tree  is  down,  you  will 
never  find  another  'coon  in  that  tree. 


16* 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

DESCRIPTIVE  TABLE  OF  TECHNICAL  TERMS  AS 
APPLIED  TO  THE  DOG. 

The  following  table  of  definitions  are  used 
descriptive  of  the  parts  of  the  dog's  anatomy, 
and  are  used  and  understood  generall}^  bv  pro- 
fessionals : 


{The  nioiihcrs  refer  to  ilic  picture.) 

AppJc-hcaded.  —  Skull  round  instead  of  flat 
on  top. 
1.     Arm. 

Blaze.  —  A  white  mark  up  the  face. 
Brush.  —  The  tail  of  a  Collie,  or  any  bushy 
tail. 

242 


TABLE  or   TECHNICAL  TERMS^  ETC.  243 

2.  Brisket.  —  The  part  of  the  body  between 

the  chest  and  the  neck.  Front  part  of 
chest. 

Butterfly-nose.  —  A  spotted  nose. 

Button-ear. — ^  An  ear  which  falls  oyer  in 
front,  concealing  the  inside,  as  in  Fox- 
Terriers. 

Broken-up  Face.  —  Refers  more  particu- 
larly to  the  face  of  the  Bulldog  or  Toy 
Spaniel,  and  comprises  the  receding 
nose,  or  lay-back,  deep  stop,  and 
wrinkle. 

Burr.  —  The  inside  of  the  ears. 

Breeching.  —  The  tan-colored  hairs  on  the 
back  of  the  thighs  of  a  Black-and-tan 
Terrier. 

Beefy.  —  Big,  beefy  hind-quarters. 

Cat-foot.  —  A  short,  round  foot,  with  the 
knuckles  high  and  well  developed; 
like  a  cat's,  short,  round  and  compact. 

3.  Chest.  —  The  chest  of  a  dog  must  not  be 

confounded  with  the  brisket;  the  breast 
or  chest  extends  between  the  fore-legs 
from  the  brisket  to  the  belly. 

Cheeky.  —  When  the  cheek  bumps  are 
strongly  defined ;  tliick  in  cheek. 

Chaps  or  Chops.  —  The  pendulous  lips  of 
the  Bull-dog;  the  foreface  of  a  Bull- 
dog. 


244  HUNTING   D0G3. 

Cohhij.  —  Well  ribbed  up;  short  and  com- 
pact. 

Cloddij  or  Cohhy.  —  Thick-set,  short-coup- 
led and  loAv  in  stature. 

Couplings.  —  The  length  or  space  between 
the  tops  of  the  shoulder-blades  and 
tops  of  the  hip-joints,  or  buckle-bones. 
A  dog  is  accordingly  spoken  of  as  long 
or  short  '4n  the  couplings." 

Cow-hocked.  —  The  hocks  turning  inward; 
hocks  that  turn  in,  like  those  of  a  cow. 

CusJiioii.  —  Fulness  in  the  top  lips. 

Crook-tail.  —  The  crooked  tail  of  a  Bull- 
dog. 

Crank-tail.  —  Same  as  above. 

Culottc.  —  The  feather  on  the  thighs,  as  in 
the  Schipperke  and  Pomeranian. 

Character.  —  The  combination  of  points 
contributing  to  the  whole  make-up  and 
giving  to  a  dog  that  which  is  desired 
in  his  particular  variety. 

Corky.  —  Compact  and  active  looking ; 
springy  and  lively  in  action. 

Dew-claics.  —  The  extra  claws  found  occa- 
sionally on  the  legs  of  all  breeds,  but 
especially  of  the  St.  Bernard;  the 
superfluous  claws  inside  the  hind-leg 
just  above  the  foot. 


TABLE   OF   TECHNICAL   TERMS,   ETC.  245 

Dewlap. —  Pendulous  skin  under  the  throat 
as  in  case  of  Blood-hound. 

Dis^i-faccd,  —  This  term  describes  a  dog 
whose  nasal  bone  is  higlier  at  tlie  nose 
than  at  the  stop  —  a  feature  not  in- 
frequently seen  in  pointers. 

Dudley-nose.  —  A  flesh-colored  nose. 

Domed  ^I'uU.  —  Round  skull. 

Deep    in   Brisket.  —  Deep    in    chest;    deep 
from  Avithers  to  x)oint  where  chest  and 
brisket  meet. 
4.     Elbow.  —  The  joint  at  the  top  of  the  fore- 
arm. 

Elhoics  Out  or  ''Out  at  Elbows.''— Thiii 
term  defines  itself.  Bulldogs  and 
Dachshunde  are  desirable  with  elbows 
so  shaped,  but  it  may  occur  as  a  fault 
through  weakness. 

Expression.  —  The  expression  of  a  dog  is 
largely  but  not  wholly  determined  by 
the  size,  angular  position,  and  degree 
of  prominence  of  the  eye.  For  instance 
in  a  St.  Bernard  the  eye  is  small,  some- 
what sunken,  showing  a  little  haw. 
This  gives  a  dignified  and  rather  be- 
nevolent expression.  "Collie  expres- 
sion" depends  largely  on  the  angle  at 
which  eyes  are  set  to  each  other. 


246  HUNTING   DOGS. 


Feather.  —  The  fringe  of  hair  on  the  back 
of  legs  of  some  breeds,  notably  Setters, 
Spaniels,  and  Sheep-dogs.  The  feath- 
ering on  legs,  as  in  the  Setter  and 
Spaniel. 

Flag.  —  The  tail  of  a  Setter. 

Flews.  —  The  chops,  or  overhanging  lips  of 
the  upper  jaw.  The  term  is  chiefly  ap- 
plied to  hounds  or  other  deep-mouthed 
dogs.    The  lips. 

5.  Forearm. — This  makes  the  principal  length 

of  the  fore-leg  and  extends  from  elbow 
to  pastern. 

Frill.  —  The  long  hair  on  the  brisket  of 
some  dogs,  and  especially  of  the  Collie. 
The  profuse  hair  under  the  neck. 

Frog-face  or  Doivn-facc.  —  Nose  not  reced- 
ing. 

Flat-skied.  —  Flat  in  ribs ;  opposite  of  well- 
ribbed  up. 

Grizzle.  —  A  bluish-gray  color. 

Eare-foot.  —  Foot  like  that  of  a  hare,  long 
and  narrow. 

Haw.  —  The  red  inside  eyelid,  usually  hid- 
den, but  visible  in  Bloodhounds  and  St. 
Bernards ;  the  red  membrane  inside  the 
lower  eyelid. 

6.  Hocks.  —  The  lower  joint  of  hind-leg. 
Height.  —  The  height  of  a  dog  is  measured 


TABLE   OF   TECHNICAL   TERMS_,   ETC.  247 

/  at    the    shoulder,    bending    the    head 

gently  down.  The  proper  method  is  to 
place  the  dog  on  level  ground  close 
by  a  wall,  and  to  lay  a  flat  rule  across 
his  shoulders  so  as  to  touch  the  wall; 
then  measure  to  the  point  touched  by 
the  rule. 

7.  Huckle-bones.  —  Tops    of    the    hip-joints. 

The  space  between  these  and  the  tops 
of  the  shoulders  is  called  the  couplings. 
Harlequin. — ^  Pied,   mottled,   or  patchy  in 
color. 

8.  Knee.  —  The  joint  attaching  the  fore-pas- 

terns and  the  forearm. 
Kink-tdiL  —  A  tail  with  a  single  break  or 

kink  in  it. 
Leather.  —  The  ears  /.  e.^  the  loose  visible 

part  of  them. 
Layhaek.  —  Receding  nose. 
Loins.  —  That  part  of  the  anatomy  of  the 

dog   between    the    last    rib    and    hind- 
quarters. 
Long  in  Flank.  —  Long  in  back  and  loins. 
Lumher.  —  Superfluous  flesh. 
Mask.  —  The  dark  muzzle  of  a  Mastiff  or 

Pug. 
Mane.  —  The  profuse  hair  on  top  of  neck. 
Merle.  —  A  bluish-gray  color  splashed  with 

black. 


248  HUNTING    DOGS. 

Moiikcij-faccd.  —  See  Dish-faced. 
9.     Nasal  Bone. 

Occiput.  —  Tlie  prominent  bone  at  the  back 
or  top  of  the  sknll;  particularly  prom- 
inent in  Bloodhounds;  the  bony  bumi:> 
on  the  top  of  the  head. 

Overshot.  —  The  upper  teeth  projecting 
over  the  lower.  This  fault  in  excess 
makes  a  dog  pig-jawed.  The  top  jaw 
protruding  beyond  the  lower  jaw. 

Out  at  Shoulders.  —  Shoulders  set  on  out- 
side, as  in  the  Bulldog. 

Out  at  Elbows.  —  Elbows  turning  out. 
10.     Pastern.  —  The  lowest  section  of  the  leg, 
below  the  knee  or   hock   respectively, 
usually  only  applied  to  those  joints  on 
front  legs. 

Pig-jaiced.  —  The  upper  jaw  protruding 
over  the  lower,  so  that  the  upper  in- 
cisor teeth  are  in  advance  of  the  lower, 
an  exaggeration  of  an  over-shot  jaw. 

Pillf.  —  A  peculiar  quality  of  coat  found  on 
some  dogs,  which  show  on  examination 
a  short  woolly  jacket  next  the  skin,  out 
of  which  springs  the  longer  visible 
coat.  This  short  woolly  coat  is  "pily." 
When  an  ordinary  coat  is  described  as 
pily,  it  means  that  it  is  soft  and  woolly, 
instead  of  hard. 


TABLE   OF   TECHNICAL   TERMS^   ETC.  249 

Prick  Ear, —  {^ee  Tulip  ear).  An  erect 
ear;  not  turned  down  or  folded. 

Plume.  —  The  tail  of  a  Pomeranian. 

Pad.  —  The  under  portion  or  sole  of  the 
foot. 

PcncUiinj.  —  The  black  marks  or  streaks 
divided  by  tan  on  the  toes  of  a  Black- 
and-tan  Terrier. 

Rose-ear.  —  An  ear  of  which  the  tip  turns 
backward  and  downward,  so  as  to  dis- 
close the  inside  of  the  ear. 

13.       KUMP-BONE. 

Ring-tail.  —  A  tail  curving'  round  in  circu- 
lar fashion. 

Roach  Back  or  Arched  Loins. —  The  arched 
or  wheel  formation  of  loin,  as  in  a 
Greyhound,  Dachshunde,  Dandie  Din- 
mont  Terrier,  and  Bulldoo-. 

Racy.  —  Slight  in  build  and  legiiy,  as  in 
the  Greyhound  or  Whippet. 

Sept  ion. — The  division  between  the  nostrils. 
11.  Shoulders.  —  Top  of  the  shoulder-blades, 
the  point  at  Avhich  the  height  of  a  dog 
is  measured. 

Splay-foot.  —  A  flat,  awkAvard  front  foot, 
usually  turned  outward;  and  the  op- 
posite of  '^Gat-foot.'' 

Stern.  —  The  tail. 


250  HUNTING   DOGS. 

12.  Stifle-joints.  —  Stifles.  The  joints  of 
hind-leg  next  above  the  hocks. 

Stop.  —  The  indentation  across  the  skull 
between  the  nose  and  the  eyes.  This 
feature  is  strongly  developed  in  Bull- 
dogs, Pugs  and  short-faced  Spaniels, 
and  considerably  so  in  man}^  other 
dogs.  The  step  or  indentation  between 
the  forehead  and  nose. 

Snipij.  —  Too  pointed  in  muzzle. 

Semi-prick  Ear.  —  An  erect  ear  of  which 
the  end  falls  over  forward. 

SicJde-tail.  —  A  tail  forming  a  semicircle, 
like  a  sickle. 

Short-coupled.  —  Short  in  back  and  loins. 

Shelly.  —  Too  narrow  and  light  in  body. 

Second  Thiifhs.  —  Tlie  muscular  develop- 
ment between  stifle-joint  and  hock. 

Style.  —  Showy,  spirited,  or  gay  demeanor. 

Tulip-ear.  —  An  upright  or  prick  ear. 

Topknot.  —  The  liair  on  top  of  the  head,  as 
in  the  Irish  Water  Spaniel,  Dandle 
Dinmont,  and  Bedlington  Terrier. 

Throatiness. —  Overmuch  loose  skin  or  flesh 
under  throat. 

Ticist.  —  The  curled  tail  of  a  Pug. 

Trace.  —  The  dark  mark  down  the  back  of 
a  Pug. 


TABLE   OF   TECHNICAL   TERMS;,   ETC.  251 

Tucked-up.  —  Tucked-up  loin,  as  in  the 
Grej^hound. 

Tricolor.  —  Black,  tan  and  white. 

Thumb  Marks.  —  The  round,  black  spots 
on  the  forelegs  of  a  Black-and-tan 
Terrier. 

Timber.  —  Bone. 

Undershot.  —  The  lower  incisor  teeth,  pro- 
jecting beyond  the  upper,  as  in  Bull- 
dogs. The  under  jaw  protruding  be- 
3^ond  the  upper  jaw. 

Upright  Shoulders.  —  Shoulders  that  are 
set  in  an  upright,  instead  of  an  oblique 
position;  not  laid  back. 

Yent.  —  The  tan  colored  hair  below  root  of 
tail. 

Varmint  Expression.  —  As  in  the  eye  of  the 
Fox  Terrier,  which  is  free  from  Haw, 
is  not  Sunken,  is  round  but  rather 
small  than  large,  and  set  horizontally, 
not  obliquely,  giving  a  keen,  rather 
^^cussed"  look. 

Wall-eyc.  —  A  blue  mottled  eye. 

Wrinkle.  —  Loose-folding  skin  over  the 
skull. 

Wh eaten.  —  Pale  yellowish  color. 

Withers.  —  Same  as  11, 


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Month 
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The  above  illustration  shows  a  front  cover  of 

lUNTER  -Trader  -Trappei 

ly  Magazine,  published  by  A.  R.  Harding,  Colu 
vho  also  publishes  books  on  Trapping  and  ( 
)pori;s,  bringing  out  new  ones  continually, 
t  descriptive  of  magazine  and  books  publishe 
t  free  upon  application.    See  following  pages 

mbus, 
:)ut-o'- 
Latest 
;d  will 

Hunter 
Trader 


Trapper 


jV^S  its  Name  Indicates  is  a  Magazine  of  Information 
WAM  for  Hunters,  Traders,  Trappers  and  Out-o-Door 
Uy    People. 

If  you  are  interested  in  hunting,  trapping, 
raw  furs,  ginseng,  raising  wild  animals,  taxidermy,  etc., 
you  will  find  this  magazine  of  interest  and  value.  The 
magazine  is  published  monthly  and  treats  on  the  fol- 
lowing subjects:  Steel  Traps,  Where  and  How  to  Set; 
Baits  and  Scents;  Proper  Season  to  Trap;  How  to 
Skin,  Stretch  and  Handle  Furs;  New  Ways  to  Capture 
Mink,  Fox,  Wolf,  Marten,  Beaver,  Otter  and  Other 
Shy  Animals;  Raising  Fur  Bearing  Animals;  Growing 
Ginseng  and  Golden  Seal ;  Training  Night  Hunting 
Dogs;  Leading  Fur  Markets;  London  Raw  Fur  Sales; 
Fox  Hunting  and  Hounds ;  Coon  Hunting ;  Letters 
From  Old  Hunters  and  Trappers,  etc. 

The  Editor  is  a  man  of  long  experience  in  handling 
raw  furs  and  trapping.  The  articles  published  and  photos 
used  are  largely  from  those  who  have  had  actual  exper- 
ience with  trap,  gun  and  dog— you  will  enjoy  them. 

The  magazine  contains  from  128  to  200  pages  each 
month,  averaging  about  160  each  month  or  2000  pages 
a  year.  About  700  illustrations  are  used  each  year. 
The  magazine  is  printed  on  good  quality  paper  and  the 
subscription  price  is  only 


{pl«UU    81     JlC&r   TEN  CENTS 

A.  R.  Harding  Publishing  Co.,  Columbus,  O. 


fef>^"p 


I  TU  WWS  C     M.i   TRIP 


npHE  above  shows  the  front  page  of  CAMP  AND  TRAIL  reduced 
-•-  from  9x12 '4  inches,  which  is  the  regular  size  of  its  pages.  This 
interesting  weekly  contains  from  16  to  24  pages  each  issue,  printed 
on  good  quality  of  paper  and  illustrated  in  an  up-to-date  manner, 
which  means  if  your  photo  or  that  of  your  catch  of  furs,  game 
killed,  etc.,  is  used  it  shows  up  nicely.  The  articles  and  photos  used 
each  week  are  mainly  furnished  by  readers,  and  you  know  what  that 
means-  true  accounts— no  fakes  as  so  often  is  the  case  with  the  "so 
called  high  class  publications." 

CAMP  AND  TRAIL  conducts  regular  departments  devoted  to 
hunting,  trapping,  fishing,  dogs,  etc.,  etc.,  being  under  same  owner- 
ship as  Hunter-Trader-Trapper,  but  is  a  weekly— 52  times  a  year 
for  only  $1.50  in  the  U.  S. ;  $2.00  in  Canada.    Sample  copy  5  cents. 

A.  R.  Hzu-ding,  Publisher,  Columbus,  Ohio 


Steel  Traps. 

Describes  the  v«f  ious  makes  and  tells 
howto  use  them.  Also  chanters  on  Care 
of  Pelts,  etc.  by  A.  R.  Harding. 

This  book  contains  333  pages,  6x7  inches 
and  130  illustrations,printed  on  good  quality 
heavy  paper.  Just  the  book  that  trappers 
have  long  needed— gives  the  history  of  Steel 
Traps,  how  made,  sizes  for  the  various  ani- 
mals with  detailed  instructions  on  where 
and  how  to  set.  This  book  contains  thirty- 
two  chapters  as  follows: 

17  Where  to  Set 

18  Looking  at  Traps 

19  Mysteriously  Sprung  Traps 

20  Good  Dens 

21  The  Proper  Bait 

22  Scent  and  Decoy 

23  Human  Scent  and  Sign 

24  Hints  on  Fall  Trapping 

25  Land  Trapping 

26  Water  Trapping 

27  When  to  Trap 

28  SomeDeep  Water  Sets 

29  Skinning  and  Stretching 

30  Handling  and  Grading 

31  From  Animal  to  Market 

32  Miscellaneous     Intormation 
No  differences  what  fur  bearer  you  wish  to  trap,  best  methods  of 

Its  capture  are  described.     Cloth,  60  cents; 

Deadfalls  and  Snares 

A  book  of  Instructions  for  Trap- 
^  pers  about  these  and  other  home 
made  Traps  by  A.  R.  Harding. 

This  book  contains  232  pages,  size  5x7  inches, 
and  84  drawings  and  illustrations,  printed  on 
good,  heavy  paper.  The  most  complete  book 
on  how  to  make  "home  made"  traps  ever  pub- 
lished. The  book  contains  twenty-eight  chap- 
ters as  follows: 


Sewell  Newhouse 

Well  Made  Traps 

A  Few  Failures 

Some  European  Traps 

Proper  Sizes 

Newhouse  Traps 

Double  and  Webbed  Jaws 

Victor  and  Hawley  &Norton 

Jump  Traps 

Tree  Traps 

Stop  Thief  Traps 

Wide  Spreading  Jaws 

Caring  for  Traps 

Marking  Traps 

How  to  Fasten 

How  to  Set 


1  Building  Deadfalls 

2  Bear  and  Coon  Deadfall 

3  Otter  Deadfall 

4  Marten  Deadfall 
6  Stone  Deadfall 

6  The  Bear  Pen 

7  Portable  Traps 

8  Some  Triggers. 

9  Trip  Triggers 

10  How  to  Set 

11  When  to  Build 

12  Where  to  Build 

13  The  Proper  Bait 

14  Traps  Knocked  Off. 


15  Spring  Pole  Snare 

16  Trail  Set  Snare 

17  Bait  Set  Snare 

18  The  Box  Trap 

19  The  Coop  Trap 

20  The  Pit  Trap 

21  Number  of  Traps 

22  When  to  Trap 

23  Season's  Catch 

2i  General  Information 

25  Skinning  and  Stretching 

26  Handling  and  Grading 

27  From  Animal  to  Market 

28  Steel  Traps 


Building  Deadfalls  and  constructing  Snares,  as  explained  in  thlS 
book,  will  be  of  value  to  trappers.    Cloth  bound,  60  cent*. 


Fox  Trapping. 

A  Book  of  Instructions  Telling: 
How  to  Trap,  Snare,  Poison  and 
Shoot.  A  Valuable  Book  for  Trap- 
pers. 

Contains  about  200  pages  and  60  Illustrations 
divided  Into  Twenty-two  Chapters  as  follows: 
My  First  Fox 
Tennessee    Trapper's 
Method. 

Many  Good  Methods. 
Fred  and  The  Old  i  rapper. 
Experienced  Trapper  Tricks 
Reynard  Outwitted. 
Fox  Shooting. 
A  Shrewd  Fox, 
Still  Hunting  the  Fox. 
Fox  Ranches. 
Steel  Traps. 

If  all  the  methods  as  given  In  this  book  had  been  studied  out  by 
one  man  and  he  began  trapping  when  Columbus  discovered  Ame-ica 
more  than  four  hundred  years  ago,  he  would  not  be  halt  completed. 
CLOTH  BOUND  60c.,  POSTAGE  INCLUDED. 


1 

General  Information. 

12 

2 

Baits  and  Scents. 

13 

3 

Foxes  and  Odor. 

4 

Chaff  Method,  Scent. 

14 

5 

Traps  and  Hints. 

15 

6 

All  Around  Land  Set. 

16 

7 

Snow  Set. 

17 

8 

Trapping  Red  Fox. 

18 

9 

Red  and  Grey. 

19 

10 

Wire  and  Twine  Snare. 

20 

11 

Trap,   Snare,  Shooting  and 

21 

Poison. 

22 

/Wink  Trapping 

A  Book  of  Instructions  giving: 
many  Methods  of  Trapping.  A 
Valuable  Book  for  Trappers. 


Contains  nearly  200  pages  and  over  50  lllus- 
_J    tratlons  divided  into  Twenty  Chapters  as  fol- 
lows: 


1 

General  Information. 

11 

Unusual  Ways. 

2 

Mink  and  Their  Habits. 

12 

Illinois  Trapper's  Methods. 

6 

Size  and  Care  of  Skins 

13 

Experienced  Trappers  Ways 
Manv  Good  Methods. 

4 

Good  and  Lasting  Baits. 

14 

5 

Bait  and  Scent. 

15 

Salt  Set. 

6 

Places  to  Set. 

16 

Log  and  Other  Sets. 

7 

Indian  Methods. 

17 

Points  for  the  Young  Trap- 

8 

Mink  Trapping    on  the 

per. 

Prairies. 

18 

Proper  Size  Traps. 

9 

Southern  Methods. 

19 

Deadfalls. 

10 

Northern  Methods. 

20 

Steel  Traps. 

The  methods  as  published  are  those  of  experienced  trappers  from 
all  parts  of  the  country.  There  is  money  made  in  catching  mink 
If  you  know  how.  After  reading  this  instructive  book,  you  will 
surely  know.  If  you  only  catch  one  more  prime  mink  it  will  pay 
for  the  book  several  times. 

CLOTH  BOUND  60c.,   POSTAQE  INCLUDED. 


Webster  Family '  --y    •  ••^ornary  Medicine 
Cummings:.      uiV.      ...^ivlediclneat 
Tufts  Un: 

200  Wo......        J 

l\lorth-r-on,!vA01536 


